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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25715935">Last Call for Sin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holz9364/pseuds/Holz9364'>Holz9364</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mort623/pseuds/Mort623'>Mort623</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Eighth Year Universe [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Death, Cheating, F/F, F/M, Multi, Not Epilogue Compliant, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shower Sex, Teen Pregnancy, Torture, Underage Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy, Unprotected Sex, Violence, teenage sex, tragic back story</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:21:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>111,345</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25715935</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holz9364/pseuds/Holz9364, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mort623/pseuds/Mort623</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>We all know what Harry, Ron and Hermione did during the 1997 to 1998 school year, but what happened at Hogwarts? This is the story of the rebellion, split into two factions - The Slytherins, led by Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott and Dumbledore's Army, led by Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood. </p><p>They work alone, apart from when they have no choice but to combine forces. When the need arises, tensions run high, as do sarcastic tendencies.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daphne Greengrass/Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy/Pansy Parkinson, Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom/Ginny Weasley, Theodore Nott/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Eighth Year Universe [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1865182</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I Want to Stand Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>We bounce around a lot in this story which is why most scenes have a location at the beginning of them. The story title and the title of every chapter derives from the song "All These Things That I Have Done" by The Killers because it was the theme tune of this section of the story. It's the song that I listened to on repeat while I wrote it! I also made a trailer for this story with that song which you can find on youtube through this link ---&gt;</p><p>https://youtu.be/Wh_oXVg9Qj8</p><p> </p><p>Hope you all enjoy and once you've finished reading you can move onto the fully rewritten eighth year which will be re-uploaded and split into two sections "The Eighth Year" and "Brave New World". I've left the old version up as well for those who may not like the rewritten version but there is a LOT more content, I've added about 10 new chapters in the rewrite!</p><p>Also big thanks to my 'new' co-collaborator Mort623! He's not really new to this, he's my husband of five years and he has helped with this story from the get-go! But he has just gotten around to getting an A03 account so that he can finally get some of the glory! Mostly he comes up with brilliant ideas and he also writes the sex scenes. Without him driving me around for brainstorms this story would never have gotten off the ground so he's a useful bloke to have around! :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ KINGS CROSS STATION, LONDON ~ * </strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Kings Cross Station was as busy and bustling as ever. Muggle businessmen pushed their way through the crowds to get onto trains and tourists with huge cameras hanging from their necks stopped and stared in the middle of the platforms. There was nothing to suggest that anything untoward was happening in the world: no dark fog, no unseasonal chilliness, no creepy men in cloaks and masks.</p><p> </p><p>Neville glanced around warily. He had come to the station alone today, his grandmother may have been strong-willed and very capable once upon a time, but she was an older woman now, and he had no idea what to expect. After all, it had been made the law for all witches and wizards of Hogwarts age to return to school, as long as they had magical blood that was.</p><p> </p><p>He sighed, no Death Eaters were lurking on this side of the secret wall, but that wasn’t to say that things on <em>his </em>side of that wall would be so hospitable.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, stranger.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville jumped and spun around. He recognised the voice, but it was the last one he had expected to hear at Kings Cross on the 1<sup>st</sup> of September.</p><p> </p><p>All the same, there she was. She was sitting on a wall absentmindedly, her denim-clad legs swinging as she peered at him through her thick-rimmed glasses. There was no mistaking her with that jet black hair pulled up into a bun and those piercing blue eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“What the hell are you doing here?” Neville asked his old friend, Lilly Moon, in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“Seeing you off?” Lilly asked. She raised an eyebrow at him, “Bon voyage and all that?”</p><p> </p><p>“You had better not be thinking about getting on that train,” Neville said firmly.</p><p> </p><p>“I have been thinking about it, all summer. I have also decided that I don’t want to get murdered by the neo-Nazi Death Eater party so no, I’m not going to get on the train,” Lilly said matter of factly, “But I live near the station, so I figured why not come and say goodbye to my good friend Nev?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked at her for a long moment, “I’d love to believe that was the truth, but we’ve not been that close for a while, Lilly. I mean yeah, we had some fun in the DA in fifth year but last year…you were doing your thing, and I was doing mine, we barely talked.”</p><p> </p><p>“And then there was a big battle that you nearly died in,” Lilly said, she caught his eye, “And now you’re getting on that train to…well to God knows what.”</p><p> </p><p>“So?”</p><p> </p><p>“So maybe I just wanted to say goodbye,” Lilly said with a shrug.</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s expression softened, “It won’t be that bad Lilly. It’s still a school at the end of the day.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure that’s what the Jews thought when they were sent to concentration camps,” Lilly said, looking at him pointedly.</p><p> </p><p>Neville sighed, “I’ll be fine. But you, on the other hand, you won’t be if you go anywhere near our world. You need to stay the hell away from Hogwarts until this is all over.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly rolled her eyes, “So you get to go and save the world because you’re friends with Harry Potter? But I have to sit on my feet and wait like a good girl?”</p><p> </p><p>“No Lilly,” Neville said irritably, “You need to stay away because you are a Muggle-born who they will kill if they find. You likened this to World War 2 just there, and you’re right. They aren’t going to give you a bloody caution. They will give you the Dementors kiss because of your blood status and then they will turn your corpse, your soul-less body into a weapon. Is that what you want? To be one of You-Know-Who’s soul-less zombies?”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly grimaced, “Well, when you put it like that…it’s not high on my list of priorities.”</p><p> </p><p>“Just look after yourself,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly jumped off of the wall, “Look after yourself,” she echoed.</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled at her, “I doubt we’ll be able to write.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly shook her head, “He will cut off all communication between the school and the outside world. It’s going down just like the Muggle war did Nev.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be careful,” Neville promised, his eyes flicking towards the clock above her.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly smiled and hugged the taller man. She pushed herself onto her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, “See ya on the flipside, Nev,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s smile was more genuine as she walked away with a grin. He shook his head in amusement and grabbed his trunk, dashing through the secret wall onto the platform. He and Lilly had been friends since they were kids, he had spent summers with her, and she had introduced him to Muggle music, and this brilliant thing called the cinema. They had started to drift apart after their fourth year though, and they had barely spoken last year. All the same, Neville hoped that Lilly would take his advice and stay put. For a Ravenclaw, she was as headstrong and stubborn as half the Gryffindors that he knew.</p><p> </p><p>Neville braced himself and made sure that his wand was within grabbing distance as he dashed through the wall onto Platform 9 ¾. The moment he opened his eyes, he came face to face with two suspicious looking Ministry officials in black cloaks.</p><p> </p><p>One of them gripped his shoulder and steered him to the side roughly.</p><p> </p><p>“Name,” He said gruffly.</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked up at the dark-haired middle-aged man. He didn’t recognise him as a Death Eater, but that wasn’t to say that he wasn’t just an ordinary Ministry official who had been put under the imperius curse.</p><p> </p><p>“Name,” He said again, his hand gripping Neville’s shoulder more tightly than before.</p><p> </p><p>“Neville Longbottom.”</p><p> </p><p>“Blood status?”</p><p> </p><p>“Pureblood.”</p><p> </p><p>“Year?”</p><p> </p><p>“Seventh.”</p><p> </p><p>“House?”</p><p> </p><p>“Gryffindor.”</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry official let go of his shoulder, “Get on the train,” he said gruffly.</p><p> </p><p>Neville swallowed and walked straight ahead towards the train. The usually crowded platform was half empty. It seemed like the ‘Ministry’ were frog-marching kids onto the train then sending parents away without letting them say goodbye. He was glad that he had told his grandmother to stay home.</p><p> </p><p>Neville kept his head down until he reached the train. He hauled his trunk up and immediately met another two ‘Ministry’ officials. This time it was clear that they were Death Eaters, mainly because Neville recognised one of them as MacNair.</p><p> </p><p>“Grab him,” MacNair instructed the other man.</p><p> </p><p>The other Death Eater, whose name Neville didn’t know, grabbed him and pulled him into an empty carriage.</p><p> </p><p>“Where is Potter?” The Death Eater asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Neville replied honestly.</p><p> </p><p>The Death Eater rolled his eyes, “Crucio,” he said lazily.</p><p> </p><p>Neville fell to his knees and cried out in pain.</p><p> </p><p>“Is Potter coming back to school?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not unless he’s an idiot,” Neville ground out, crying out in pain once more.</p><p> </p><p>“Did he give you any indication as to where he was going?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Neville gasped.</p><p> </p><p>“Has he communicated with you in any way?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Neville replied breathily.</p><p> </p><p>The Death Eater ended the curse then slashed at his face with a cutting curse.</p><p> </p><p>Neville hissed in pain and pushed himself to his feet shakily. The Death Eater threw him out of the carriage and told MacNair, “He doesn’t know anything.”</p><p> </p><p>MacNair nodded, “Get a move on, Longbottom. The front carriages are reserved for Slytherins.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville grabbed his trunk wordlessly and walked up the middle of the train. He kept his head down and didn’t look into any of the compartments; it just wasn’t worth it. He made his way through the first two carriages, which were the first-class ones usually reserved for the Head Boy and Girl, Prefect’s, etc.</p><p> </p><p>When he reached the third carriage, Neville started looking into compartments in the hope that he would find somebody that he knew. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her, sitting with her legs pulled up underneath her, looking out onto the fog-filled platform.</p><p> </p><p>“Gin.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny turned around and smiled weakly at him, “You got the welcome treatment too, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded. Ginny’s face was marred with cuts as he imagined that his was, “They wanted to know where Harry was.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, they asked me the same question,” Ginny said as Neville threw his trunk into the luggage compartment and sat down opposite her.</p><p> </p><p>Neville sighed, “Where’s Ron?”</p><p> </p><p>“Where do you think?” Ginny asked, looking pointedly at him.</p><p> </p><p>“And Harry?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“And Hermione is with them,” Neville said with a nod.</p><p> </p><p>“Yep,” Ginny agreed, “So it’s just us this year.”</p><p> </p><p>“And me.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville and Ginny turned to the voice and smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“Luna,” Neville said, hugging her the moment she stepped into the compartment.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny hugged her friend too as Neville put Luna’s trunk in the luggage compartment for her.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay, Luna?” Ginny asked, touching one of the cuts on Luna’s face.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I’m fine,” Luna said quietly. She sat down next to Ginny and looked out of the window, “They just wanted to know where Harry was, but I didn’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, neither did we,” Ginny said, putting her arm around her friend.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you really not know where he is?” Neville asked, his eyes meeting Ginny’s, “He’s your boyfriend.”</p><p> </p><p>“No Neville,” Ginny said curtly, “He isn’t. Harry broke up with me before the summer then we had great, but sad goodbye sex before my brother’s wedding, and now he’s on the run without me. So no, he is not my boyfriend.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville grabbed her hand across the table.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny let out a breath, “He is just a guy, a very brave guy who is probably going to save us all. He’s doing what he has to do, and he is noble and…not my boyfriend, not anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay to admit that it hurts Ginny,” Luna said, leaning into her friend, “It’s just us.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “And he was your first love.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny shook her head and looked out of the window, “No, I can’t afford to think like that. Harry is off doing whatever he is doing, and from the welcome we got when we boarded the train I think we are going to have a fight on our hands too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Neville agreed with a sigh, “It does look that way…”</p><p> </p><p>“We were attacked the minute we got on the train just because we are known associates of Harry’s,” Ginny said quietly, “Everything we say, every move we make at school…we’ll be watched.”</p><p> </p><p>“So we need to watch what we say, who we say it to and where we say it,” Neville said in an undertone, “Starting now.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded and cleared her throat, “Fancy a game of Wizards Chess then?”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed hard as he looked at the wall in front of him.</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t go through with you this year, darling.”</p><p> </p><p>Lucius scoffed, “He doesn’t need us to go through with him Narcissa. He is a man now.”</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa’s eyes darkened, “Not yet Lucius.”</p><p> </p><p>Lucius rolled his eyes, “Remember what the Dark Lord told you, Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will, Father.”</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa stepped forward and embraced her son, “My love, everything you see and everything you do will be crutinized when he calls you back. Do not tell the people that you love anything; keep them at a distance to keep them safe.”</p><p> </p><p>She drew back and smiled tearfully at him, “Be safe.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “Goodbye, Mother.”</p><p> </p><p>He turned to his steely-eyed father, “Goodbye, Father.”</p><p> </p><p>Lucius simply bowed his head.</p><p> </p><p>Draco turned and stepped through the wall. He knew it would not be as simple as just walking onto the train, so he was unsurprised when two men in black cloaks immediately stopped him.</p><p> </p><p>“Name?”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco Malfoy,” Draco said carefully.</p><p> </p><p>“Blood status?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco scoffed, “Pureblood, you <em>must </em>know that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Got to ask all of the kids the same questions,” One of the cloaked men said gruffly.</p><p> </p><p>“Year?”</p><p> </p><p>“Seventh.”</p><p> </p><p>“House?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco rolled his eyes, “Slytherin obviously.”</p><p> </p><p>One of the men nodded curtly, “Get on the train.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded and walked straight onto the train.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” MacNair said, bowing his head to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Walden,” Draco returned. He looked to the man at his side, “Avery.”</p><p> </p><p>“Malfoy,” Avery returned.</p><p> </p><p>“Take a seat somewhere Draco,” MacNair said, “This carriage is reserved for Slytherins.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded and walked along the carriage, glancing into compartments until he found one with a friendly face. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. She got to her feet and hugged him tightly the moment he walked into the compartment.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” She breathed.</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy,” Draco said quietly. He extracted himself from her embrace and put his luggage up on the rack.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t know if you would come back, I was scared,” Pansy admitted as she looked at him carefully.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t really have a choice,” Draco said bitterly, “What with them making it illegal not to come to school and all.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy narrowed her eyes at him, “Draco. Are you, <em>you</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not under the imperius curse,” Draco replied. He sat down across from her and looked out at the platform.</p><p> </p><p>“What did they do to you over the summer?” Pansy asked as she reached up and traced a deep cut on his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing good,” Draco murmured, focusing on the foggy platform, “And now they are here and…I’m scared about what they will do to the people that I love. People like you.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy met his eye and leaned across the table to kiss him. Draco was surprised and about to pull away because he had to keep his distance from her this year and he didn’t want to give her mixed signals. However, before he could, a scoff sounded from the doorway.</p><p> </p><p>They broke apart, and Draco grimaced when he looked up and saw a beautiful blonde girl standing before them.</p><p> </p><p>“Wow,” She said coldly, “That didn’t take long.”</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne,” Draco began.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t,” Daphne said. She held up her hand and glared at Pansy, “But you are welcome to him Pansy. Personally, murdering Death Eaters don’t do it for me.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco opened his mouth again to try and defend himself, but before he could, she turned to two girls behind her. One of them had dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes that were hidden behind thick-rimmed circular glasses. The other had coffee-coloured skin, brown eyes and sleek dark hair.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on girls, let’s find our own compartment,” Daphne said. She flipped her hair back and stalked off, the two girls followed her without looking into the compartment.</p><p> </p><p>“She’ll cool down Draco,” A new voice said as a tall, skinny boy with shoulder-length brown hair slipped into the compartment, “Just give her time.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed, “Hey, Theo.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo grinned at him, “Hey man. Those guys are a total buzzkill right?” he asked as he threw his luggage up carelessly then flung himself into a seat next to Draco, “Can you believe our Dads are friends with them?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco just sighed in response and looked back to the window silently, “I don’t know why I expected Daphne to be nice to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know why you did either,” Theo admitted, “You broke her heart, and she holds grudges for a long time. She’s still pissed off at me for something I did to her in third year.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh for Salazar’s sake Theo,” Pansy said, she glared at him, “You aren’t helping.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry but the truth hurts,” Theo said stubbornly, “And you two were snogging when she walked by. I’d be pissed if I was your ex too.”</p><p> </p><p>“That was my fault,” Pansy admitted. She glanced over at Draco, but he was still looking out of the window, “I’m sorry,” she added as she reached out to grab his hand.</p><p> </p><p>Draco flinched and pulled it away upon her touch.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” Theo said, a frown forming on his face, “What happened to you this summer?”</p><p> </p><p>“He doesn’t want to talk about it,” Pansy murmured.</p><p> </p><p>Draco didn’t look away from the window, “Nothing that I can tell either of you about anyway. You would do well to distance yourself from me this year. I’m a weapon, and they will use me against you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” Pansy said softly, “You are not a weapon, you’re our friend.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head, “Everything I see, everything I hear…he will hear it and see it too. I’m a good Occlumens Pansy but not as good as him. You can’t tell me anything, do you understand?”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy swallowed but nodded, “I understand.”</p><p> </p><p>“And you, Theo?” Draco asked, turning his grey eyes towards his best friend.</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded, “Yeah, I get it Draco. You’re just trying to protect us,” he said, but his concern was shining in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy opened her mouth to try and shift the topic of conversation away from Draco, but before she could, he said, “I just want to read my book in peace, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo opened his mouth to object, but Pansy shook her head at him, and the compartment fell silent.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Do you think you might have been too harsh?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne glared at her best friend, “Too harsh? Really, Tracey?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s been months since you broke up,” Tracey pointed out, “And you broke up with him-”</p><p> </p><p>“Because he was a Death Eater!” Daphne exclaimed in an irritated hiss.</p><p> </p><p>“Shh,” Sadie hushed her, “Be careful what you say. There are Death Eaters in this carriage, and it is full of people who think like them.”</p><p> </p><p>“There are spies everywhere,” Tracey agreed in an undertone, “Don’t let your hatred of Draco get you in trouble.”</p><p> </p><p>“I mean the reason you had for breaking up with him was valid,” Sadie continued, “But it was months ago now so you really shouldn’t be so jealous about the fact he kissed Pansy.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed and leant back in her seat, “I was petty, wasn’t I?”</p><p> </p><p>“You were a little bit petty, yeah,” Tracey admitted honestly.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Sadie said with a shrug.</p><p> </p><p>“No, that’s what I need you guys for,” Daphne said. She frowned out at the platform, “And it’s not the most important thing in the world right now. Does it matter who he’s dating if we all die in a horrible fiery battle between good and evil?”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, you’re feeling optimistic today,” Tracey said, raising an eyebrow at her.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne opened her mouth to defend herself, but before she could, a figure stopped in the doorway.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie looked up and smiled weakly, “Hey Vinnie. Draco is in the compartment two doors down.”</p><p> </p><p>Vincent Crabbe nodded, “Thanks, Sadie.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne made a face, “I don’t know why you’re so nice to him; he thinks he has a chance with you.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie grimaced, “No, I just don’t want to be horrible to him. I know he isn’t the smartest, but he’s got a good heart.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s an idiot who follows anyone who is nice to him,” Daphne muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey nodded her agreement. Another figure appeared in the doorway, “Hey Greg. You just missed Vinnie; he was looking for Draco too.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s two compartments down,” Daphne added.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks,” Gregory Goyle said, walking away without another word.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, hiding from your ex?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne rolled her eyes and looked up at the dark-skinned, handsome boy who was hovering in the doorway, “We wouldn’t all fit in one compartment anyway, Blaise.”</p><p> </p><p>“And it would be awkward considering that when we walked past, he was snogging Pansy,” Tracey added in her friend’s defence.</p><p> </p><p>Blaise scoffed, “And? Let her have him. You’re better than him anyway Daph.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled at him, “Thank you, darling. You can stay.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise smiled and stepped into the compartment, “Well, aren’t I the lucky one? Usually, Theo gets all the luck with the ladies.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne snorted, “Not with these ladies.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie’s cheeks flushed, and Daphne shot her friend a knowing look.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, maybe with one of us,” Tracey said, smirking at her friend.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie shook her head, “Theo and I are just friends.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah and Daphne isn’t at all bitter about the fact Draco wants to snog Pansy,” Blaise said with a light laugh, “You can do better than Theo, Sadie. Daphne, you can do better than Draco and Tracey…well you’re not picky let’s be honest.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh!” Daphne said, trying to hide her amusement as Tracey hit Blaise as hard as she could around the back of the head.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, watch it! Any more abuse and I’ll spend the rest of the journey listening to Theo going on and on about how in love with Sinistra he is while Pansy strokes Draco’s ego and Crabbe and Goyle eat cakes,” Blaise joked, pulling a book out of his bag.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne chuckled and lay down on the bench seat, resting her head in Blaise’s lap, “No, you won’t. You love us too much.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise rested his hand on her shoulder, “Do I?”</p><p> </p><p>“You do,” Daphne said matter of factly.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey looked to the girl at her side and shook her head, “How long is she going to keep stringing that poor boy along for?” she murmured.</p><p> </p><p>“If she doesn’t make a move soon, it’s just mean,” Sadie whispered back.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you two gossiping about?” Daphne asked, opening one eye to look at her friends suspiciously.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing,” The girls chorused.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGSMEADE STATION ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Who are those two creeps?” Ginny asked in a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>“Just another two Death Eaters,” Neville said, eyeing the two Death Eaters in question. They were standing on the platform, checking out every student. They had let the Slytherins go first, and now they were allowing the rest of the students to leave the train.</p><p> </p><p>They asked every student for their name then checked a box on a scroll of parchment before them. They then carted them off to the school in carriages. It was all rigorous and controlled. It didn’t bode well for what was to come when they reached Hogwarts.</p><p> </p><p>“Name?”</p><p> </p><p>“Neville Longbottom,” Neville replied, looking at the red-headed woman warily.</p><p> </p><p>“Get in the carriage,” She said, turning her icy gaze on him.</p><p> </p><p>Neville did as he was told. A few minutes later, Ginny joined him, then Luna followed and finally, Seamus stepped into the carriage.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey man,” Seamus said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Where’s Dean?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“On the run,” Seamus replied.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s a Muggle-born,” Ginny added.</p><p> </p><p>“Right,” Neville remembered, “Do you reckon he’ll be okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s a smart guy,” Seamus said, although they could tell that he was concerned, “He’ll look after himself.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded and looked out into the night, “This might be one of the only chances we get to talk freely, so what is our plan?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think we need to see how bad things are before we can answer that,” Neville said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>“Things are going to be bad Neville,” Ginny said, looking at him in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>Luna nodded her agreement, “I think Ginny is right.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, what are we supposed to do?” Neville asked, tearing his gaze away from hers, “We’re kids, and they are Death Eaters. We’ve just got to keep our heads down until Harry finishes this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Harry could take years to finish this,” Ginny said quietly, “Or worse, Harry could fail.”</p><p> </p><p>Seamus frowned, “No, he’s Harry though isn’t he? He survives everything.”</p><p> </p><p>“He can’t keep surviving everything forever,” Ginny said as the carriage neared the school, “If he dies out there then we are on our own here. We need to do something.”</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s just see what the lay of the land is first,” Neville said, a firmness in his voice made the others listen to him. Although for Ginny, it was reluctantly.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, Nev.”</p><p> </p><p>Luna took Neville’s hand but said nothing.</p><p> </p><p>The carriage came to a stop, and they got out, looking up at the school nervously. It looked much the same, apart from the sinister grey fog that seemed to surround the Astronomy tower.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you reckon that’s for atmospheric effect?” Seamus asked jokingly.</p><p> </p><p>“No, Seamus, I think that’s a sign of terrible things to come,” Ginny answered.</p><p> </p><p>She took a step forward, and the other three followed her into the entrance hall. They were shepherded into the great hall, which was silent.</p><p> </p><p>Luna let go of Neville’s hand and walked over to the Ravenclaw table. Neville put his hand on Ginny’s back, gently steering her towards the Gryffindor table.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not a china doll Neville,” She murmured.</p><p> </p><p>“Harry asked me to look after you,” Neville returned simply.</p><p> </p><p>Seamus was oblivious to the exchange between the two friends. The three of them sat down at the Gryffindor table and looked around the hall for people that they knew. Neville smiled encouragingly down the table at Lavender and Parvati, who both seemed very apprehensive. Apart from them, he didn’t see anyone else from their year at the Gryffindor table.</p><p> </p><p>A glance at the Slytherin table told him what he had expected; virtually all of the Slytherins from their year were back except for Millicent Bulstrode. That, of course, meant that they would be massively outnumbered in classes unless a significant amount of Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws had returned.</p><p> </p><p>Neville cast his eyes towards the Hufflepuff table and was relieved when he immediately saw two girls that he knew well. Susan Bones, who had dark red hair and green eyes, smiled weakly at him and waved across the hall; she had a gash on her face like he did so the Death Eaters must have questioned her when she got on the train too. Next to her was her best friend Hannah Abbott, she was a pretty, unassuming girl with dark blonde hair. Sitting close to them was Ernie MacMillan, who looked a little lost without his best friend. Neville expected that Justin Finch-Fletchley was on the run because he was a Muggle-born. A little further down the table two other Hufflepuffs that he knew were talking in whispers. One of them was called Leanne Fox, and the other was called Wayne Hopkins. They were both in his year, and he had talked to them at Herbology club.</p><p> </p><p>“Great,” Ginny muttered, “Smith is back.”</p><p> </p><p>“I doubt he’ll bother us,” Neville whispered, his eyes on Zacharias Smith, who sat a little further down the table from the other Hufflepuff’s. With him was a short girl with messy blonde hair who went by the name of Megan. Neville wasn’t sure of her surname because he had never really interacted with her, but he was reasonably sure she had been in the DA.</p><p> </p><p>“He’ll probably be too far up Snape’s arse,” Ginny said distastefully, she had inherited her brother’s dislike of the Hufflepuff boy.</p><p> </p><p>Neville didn’t disagree as he looked over at the Ravenclaw table. Although he knew she wasn’t there, he still looked for Lilly on autopilot. There were a few returning Ravenclaws which made sense because there tended to be almost as many purebloods in Ravenclaw as there were in Slytherin. Neville caught the eye of Anthony Goldstein for a moment. Anthony smiled weakly at him and turned to the boy at his side. That boy was the handsome, and totally arrogant about it, Michael Corner. It looked odd to see them without the third member of their trio, but Terry was a Muggle-born so he couldn’t have returned to school.</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s eyes lingered on Michael for a moment longer than they should have done. He knew that Michael and Lilly had been dating at the end of their sixth year. He wasn’t sure if their relationship had lasted the summer, but he didn’t seem like a guy who was sad because his Muggle-born girlfriend was in danger. Michael looked up and caught Neville’s eye, he smiled at him then looked down quickly as if he was hiding something. Neville frowned but cast his eyes further along the table where he saw Padma sitting with a curly-haired girl called Mandy Brocklehurst. They were joined by Stephen Cornfoot, who was a pureblooded boy that Neville knew Lilly was friends with.</p><p> </p><p>Having seen how many likely allies had returned, Neville cast his gaze towards the head table. Snape was sitting in the Headmasters chair surveying the hall carefully, and Neville made a point not to catch his eye. Instead, he looked along the table and was relieved to see that the staff had remained much the same. The only notable absences were that of Hagrid, who Neville had assumed was in hiding due to his half-breed status and Charity Burbage, who had taught Muggle Studies.</p><p> </p><p>“Where is Professor Burbage?” Ginny asked in a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>“According to the Prophet she resigned,” Neville muttered, “But I don’t buy it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Neither do I,” Ginny said as she looked at the empty seat.</p><p> </p><p>“No Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher yet either,” Neville pointed out quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“I noticed,” Ginny admitted.</p><p> </p><p>At that point, Snape rose to his feet and called for silence. The hall fell eerily silent and remained that way until the first years were led into the hall by the two creepy Death Eaters from the platform.</p><p> </p><p>“What are they doing here?” Ginny whispered irritably.</p><p> </p><p>“There are still two empty seats up there,” Neville said darkly, his eyes on the red-haired female Death Eater. They both looked wicked, but she seemed genuinely evil.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny didn’t say anything, and they remained silent throughout the sorting. Once it was over, Snape rose to his feet, his robes billowing dramatically behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“Silence!”</p><p> </p><p>He surveyed the hall, like a King looking down on his subjects, “You should all be aware that this school will be run properly from now on. There will be no chit-chat, no foolish wand-waving, and no soft touch Headmaster to protect you. If any of you step out of line, you shall be punished.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny glared at the new Headmaster.</p><p> </p><p>Neville grabbed her hand under the table.</p><p> </p><p>“As you can see, there are two new Professors this year,” Snape continued, “Professor Alecto Carrow will teach Muggle Studies and her brother, Professor Amycus Carrow will teach Defence against the Dark Arts.”</p><p> </p><p>The two Death Eaters smiled slyly. Neville could tell that they were going to be trouble.</p><p> </p><p>“That is all,” Snape said.</p><p> </p><p>He sat back down, and food appeared on the tables. It was the same food that appeared at the feast every year, but when it had to be consumed in nervous silence, it didn’t taste the same. They forced their way through their meal anyway, and once it was over, they all left to go to their house common rooms.</p><p> </p><p>When they reached the entrance hall, Luna rejoined them and hooked her arm through Ginny’s.</p><p> </p><p>“Keep to your own house!” A rough voice barked.</p><p> </p><p>Luna jumped and turned around. The voice belonged to one of the Carrows, Alecto. She stepped forward and pointed her wand at Luna.</p><p> </p><p>“Go, Luna,” Ginny said, nudging her friend away.</p><p> </p><p>Luna stepped away and walked in line with the other Ravenclaws. Ginny’s jaw set as she struggled to conceal her rage. Neville grabbed her hand, and she squeezed it in return.</p><p> </p><p>“Moved on from Potter quickly, Weaslette!” Theo shouted across the hall.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny yanked her hand out of Neville’s and turned around.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t,” Neville said, grabbing her shoulder, “Don’t rise to it because you’ll be the one that gets punished.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto Carrow narrowed her eyes at them, “No dawdling, get to your common rooms!”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny shot a vicious glare over her shoulder at Theo but headed up the grand staircase all the same. Neville didn’t try and touch her again because he thought she might punch him if he did. They made sure to keep their mouths shut until Neville was convinced that they were far enough away from the Carrows.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re going to have to ignore idiots like Nott,” Neville said quietly, “If you rise to it, one of those new Death Eater teachers will use it as an excuse to punish you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can take them,” Ginny said hotly.</p><p> </p><p>“Nobody can take prolonged use of the cruciatus curse,” Neville said, his eyes meeting hers, “Trust me.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny knew about what had happened to Neville’s parents, so she didn’t argue. But the remainder of the walk to the common room was in silence. Once they got there, they headed to their respective dormitories.</p><p> </p><p>Neville sat down on his bed and sighed as he looked around the empty room.</p><p> </p><p>Seamus walked in and kicked his trunk open then sat down on his bed. He looked up at Neville and caught his eye, “Just the two of us this year, mate.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Yeah,” he sighed as his thoughts went to Harry, Ron and Dean, not for the first time. He found himself wondering where they were right now and what they were doing.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Don't You Put Me on the Backburner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ * </strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The first night back at Hogwarts was usually one of the best of Draco’s life. He slept soundly knowing that he was safe. He didn’t listen for footsteps on marble stairs; he didn’t sleep with one eye open. Despite the fact it was cold and miserable, the Slytherin common room had always felt safe, until the first night of his seventh year.</p><p> </p><p>The seventh-year Slytherins reached the common room and were contemplating heading straight to bed when the two new Professors stepped into the common room.</p><p> </p><p>“All year groups below sixth year, go to your dorms,” Alecto barked.</p><p> </p><p>The common room emptied quickly. Pansy looked over at Draco warily, he smiled weakly and took her hand. Daphne shook her head and looked away from them.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus stepped forward and crossed his arms, “We are looking for volunteers to help us enforce the Dark Lord’s standards in the school this year.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes when Crabbe and Goyle instantly volunteered themselves.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto locked eyes with Draco. She was a terrifying-looking woman with dark red hair and cold blue eyes. He could tell that she had been pretty in her youth, but Azkaban had taken away her looks as it had with his aunt.</p><p> </p><p>“And you, Draco?” She asked smoothly, “Why do you not volunteer to uphold our Lords standards?”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t think I had to volunteer,” Draco answered dryly, “I thought you were looking for new recruits, not old ones.”</p><p> </p><p>“Learn your place Malfoy,” Alecto said harshly, “Or it will be writhing at my feet like your father did all summer.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed a remark and said nothing.</p><p> </p><p>Nobody else had volunteered, so Alecto turned her icy gaze on the rest of the students, “Those who aid our Lord in these dark times will be rewarded once we have achieved our victory. Those who refuse to serve us will be punished.”</p><p> </p><p>A couple more students stepped forward; all of them were sixth years.</p><p> </p><p>“The Dark Lord does not wish to spill pure blood but he will, if he has to,” Alecto finished.</p><p> </p><p>Nobody else stepped forward, and Pansy tightened her grip on Draco’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>“That will be all,” Alecto said calmly, “But we would like a word with you in private, Nott.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked up in alarm, “Me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah boy, you,” Amycus said, opening the door into the dungeon corridor.</p><p> </p><p>Draco let go of Pansy’s hand and stepped forward, “Why do you need to talk to him alone?”</p><p> </p><p>“What are you, Malfoy, his protector?” Amycus scoffed.</p><p> </p><p>“He is my friend,” Draco said, narrowing his eyes at them, “And he’s on our side, so I suggest that you leave him alone.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto laughed, “That’s cute Amycus. He has a guy on the side, just like his father.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco’s eyes flashed angrily.</p><p> </p><p>“His father has more than that on the side,” Amycus said, laughing nastily.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine, Draco,” Theo said. He stepped towards the two Death Eaters.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto laughed once more and guided Theo out of the common room.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you think they are going to do to him?” Sadie asked, stepping forward the moment that the door closed behind Theo and the two Carrows.</p><p> </p><p>“I really hope I’m wrong,” Draco said, his eyes lingering on the doorway.</p><p> </p><p>“Why?” Sadie asked anxiously.</p><p> </p><p>“Because-”</p><p> </p><p>A loud cry of pain sounded from the other side of the door.</p><p> </p><p>Anger flashed in Draco’s eyes, “There is no way in hell I’m letting them give my best friend the mark.”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco!” Pansy exclaimed as he headed for the door, “They’ll kill you!”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne’s eyes darkened as she watched the blond boy walk towards the door, “She’s right Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco ignored them both and left the common room, making sure he shut the door behind him so that the others could not follow. The sight he saw in the corridor made his blood boil. Amycus was holding Theo’s arms while he knelt on the floor shaking. Alecto had her wand trained on his chest, and Draco suspected that she had just used the cruciatus curse on him.</p><p> </p><p>“Torturing one of your own on your first day in the job?” Theo asked breathily, “Not a smart move.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned over at his friend, “Shut up, Theo. You don’t have to become a Death Eater just because they ask you to. The Dark Lord does not appreciate marks being forced on his followers; he likes them to be willing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good thing I was then.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Draco asked sharply.</p><p> </p><p>“Lift my sleeve, you idiots,” Theo said, glaring up at Alecto.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto nodded in Amycus’s direction.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus lifted Theo’s sleeve, and there it was…the dark mark. It swam in Draco’s vision for a moment, and the snake hissed. Draco stared at it in disbelief, “No.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Theo said, catching Draco’s eye, “Your father convinced you to take your mark and mine convinced me to take mine. I was just a month or so behind you Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto scoffed, “But did you earn it, Nott?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo tore his eyes away from Draco and looked up at her, “Of course I earned it. It wouldn’t still be there if I hadn’t completed the ritual, would it?”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto narrowed her eyes at him.</p><p> </p><p>“It would have faded if he hadn’t completed the ritual,” Amycus said, “If he got it the same time as Malfoy then he’s had it a while.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know that Amycus, I’m not an idiot,” Alecto snapped, “But I have a hard time imagining this pathetic weed killing anyone.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo smirked at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Who did you kill then, Nott?” Amycus asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, let’s just say that somewhere out there a despicable little Muggle is wondering if his Daddy will ever come home.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco physically drew back at those words.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto grinned wickedly, “Congratulations, Nott. You just became Head of the Junior Squad.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo got to his feet and smiled, “Well, won’t that look good on a CV?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>“The Dark Lord will be very proud,” Alecto said, placing her hand on his shoulder, “As will your father. We always thought you were the runt, but it seems like you have more of your father in you than we realised.”</p><p> </p><p>“What can I say, I’m a late bloomer,” Theo remarked.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus laughed, “You’re funny, kid.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto turned her gaze on Draco, “Malfoy, take note. You could learn from your friend because you are pathetic, just like your father.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head, “My father is not pathetic! The things he did in the first war-”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh the first war,” Alecto said with a wave of her hand, “That was <em>years </em>ago, Malfoy! He’s gotten soft since then, lost his mettle hasn’t he?”</p><p> </p><p>“He hasn’t gotten soft!” Draco objected as he stepped forward, “He just fell out of favour because I failed to kill Dumbledore. I’m the failure, not my father, so if you want to call anyone pathetic or punish anyone for his mistakes, then you ought to punish me. The rest of the Death Eaters did, all summer long.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto pressed the tip of her wand into Draco’s chest, “You are too mouthy for a Death Eater, kid. You need to learn your place and that place is on your knees.”</p><p> </p><p>Amycus kicked Draco down, and Alecto cried, “Crucio!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco gritted his teeth and refused to scream in pain. He didn’t want to give the bitch that satisfaction. He looked up and caught Theo’s eye and saw him trying to hide a grimace.</p><p> </p><p>“The cruciatus curse doesn’t work on him, Alecto,” Amycus said, “He’s used to it. We’re going to need to be experimental with this one.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto ended the curse and grinned, “Ooh, this could be fun! Grab him Amycus.”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco-” Theo began to say.</p><p> </p><p>But before he could finish his sentence, the common room door closed on him, and Draco was dragged away by the Carrows.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Draco wasn’t surprised to see Theo sitting in bed waiting for him when he eventually dragged himself into the dorm room late that night.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” Theo said quietly as he took in his friends injuries.</p><p> </p><p>Draco sat down gingerly on his bed and grimaced. He had limped into the room; his face was covered in cuts and bruises.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, I can explain-”</p><p> </p><p>“You can explain?” Draco spat, “You can fucking explain? You’re a Death Eater, Theo! A fucking Death Eater and you didn’t tell me? It has been over a year, and you didn’t tell your best friend!”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh don’t you fucking start,” Theo barked, “Mr ‘I’m gonna kill Dumbledore and not tell anyone about it’. You kept secrets from me last year too!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head and said, “It’s worse than that, Theo, so much worse! You killed someone, you. I don’t even know who you are anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“Who I am?” Theo asked in disbelief. He crossed the room and sat down on the edge of Draco’s bed, “Draco, I’m who I’ve always been. I’m your best friend.”</p><p> </p><p>A scoff sounded from the bed next to Draco’s, “If you two are going to shag, can you please put up a silencing charm?”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up Blaise,” Theo muttered irritably, throwing a silencing charm up around the bed anyway.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks!” Blaise’s voice said from within his bed.</p><p> </p><p>“The listening charms will be able to cut through silencing charms,” Draco said, looking at Theo warily.</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded and used his wand to write in the air, <em>I know. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Draco looked from the silvery writing to his friend.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I lied, you idiot.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Draco’s eyes softened, “Of course,” he murmured.</p><p> </p><p><em>I killed a Muggle in hospital, </em>Theo wrote, <em>He was almost dead anyway.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Draco nodded. Any death of a Muggle or Muggle-born would have counted for the ritual.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” He mouthed at Theo.</p><p> </p><p>Theo rolled his eyes, “Drama queen,” he muttered fondly.</p><p> </p><p>Draco laughed weakly then grimaced in pain.</p><p> </p><p>“What did they do to you?” Theo asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing I can’t handle,” Draco said quietly. He lay down on his bed and let out a shaky breath.</p><p> </p><p>“Really? Cause it kind of looks like you can’t handle it right now,” Theo said pointedly.</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed and looked up at the top of his four-poster, “Well, my father will probably kill me when I get called back for the next Death Eater meeting. I’ve already made a stand against the two Death Eaters running the school.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo grabbed his hand and began to write in the air again. <em>Get better at lying. I think saying his name sends an alarm out to them. Once I do that, follow my lead.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Draco read the message then nodded.</p><p> </p><p>Theo sighed, “Voldemort doesn’t care about the Carrows. He put Snape in charge of the school and Snape is your Godfather. Forget about pleasing them, they treat you like shit because they think your Dad is soft, but you’re not like him Draco, and I’m not like my father. We’re our own people, and if we get on the right side of Snape, we can rule the school this year.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco played along, “You’re right, Theo, I should be celebrating. There are no pathetic little Muggle-borns to please, no Harry Potter to duel.”</p><p> </p><p>“Just scared little students who we can bend to our will,” Theo said, “We can train them so that they can be future soldiers for our Dark Lord. I know Alecto put me in charge, but I want you to be my second in command.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m honoured, Theo.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo gave him a thumbs up and wrote in the air. <em>Just go with this next part too. You’re not going to like it</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked up at him warily.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll be great together,” Theo said. He then cast a spell at Draco’s chest.</p><p> </p><p>Draco drew in a sharp breath and gasped.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Theo mouthed. Then he did it again and set another of Draco’s ribs.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck, Theo,” Draco gasped, gripping the bedsheets as the pain rippled through his body.</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked at him apologetically then set the third rib.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck,” Draco hissed.</p><p> </p><p>Theo leant back on his feet and wrote, <em>Needed them to think we’re screwing because it makes me look powerful and because I had to set your broken ribs.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Draco glared at him and wrote, <em>Great. Now they think I’m gay as well as a shit Death Eater.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Theo grinned at him. <em>Snape is the key though. Ask him for Occlumency lessons.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>How? </em>Draco wrote.</p><p> </p><p><em>Like this</em>, Theo wrote. He pointed at the silvery writing.</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded and looked at his friend. <em>What if he won’t help?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>He will. He’s your Godfather</em>, Theo wrote.</p><p> </p><p>At that point, the dorm room door opened loudly.</p><p> </p><p>“What is going on in here?” Alecto Carrow hissed, “Unauthorised use of a silencing charm?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry Professor,” Blaise’s voice said.</p><p> </p><p>Theo and Draco looked at each other in alarm; the curtains around the bed were drawn.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you cast the charm, Zabini?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, but I asked Theo and Draco to,” Blaise replied, “Cause I’m pretty sure they are having sex in there.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto scoffed, and her feet began to move towards Draco’s bed. Theo looked at Draco and panicked, Draco shook his head, “No,” he mouthed.</p><p> </p><p>But the footsteps reached the edge of the bed and Draco could tell that the curtains would be ripped back soon, so he caved and pulled Theo on top of him.</p><p> </p><p>Theo’s lips connected with Draco’s seconds before the curtain was drawn back, so they didn’t have to kiss for long, thankfully.</p><p> </p><p>“For the love of Salazar,” Alecto muttered when the two boys broke apart, “You two are unbelievable. I mean Malfoy, will you literally sleep with anyone for power? You really are just like your father.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco kept his mouth shut.</p><p> </p><p>“And Nott,” Alecto said, turning her gaze to the dark-haired boy, “You could do better than a Malfoy, both in your bed and as your second in command.”</p><p> </p><p>“My apologies that you had to hear that Professor,” Theo said as he got to his feet, “And don’t worry about Draco, I’ll have him up to scratch before the end of the year.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto smirked, “I am glad to hear it. Now, get into your own bed and stay there.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Professor,” Theo said. He crossed the room and got into his bed, drawing the curtains around it quickly.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto’s heels clicked across the room then the dorm room door shut.</p><p> </p><p>“You two are so gay.”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, Blaise,” Draco and Theo echoed in unison.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Everyone approached the first day of classes with trepidation. Breakfast was eaten in silence as timetables were handed out by the Heads of House. Snape announced that the Quidditch season was cancelled and that there was to be no Head Boy or Girl this year.</p><p> </p><p>Classes, as a whole, were standard. Neville was under the impression that the teachers were unable to talk openly about the situation. They refrained from referencing the war or assuring the students that things would be okay. They just taught their classes as normally as they could given the circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>The moment of truth came when the classes that the Carrows taught were attended. Muggle Studies had been made mandatory for all house groups, and it was Neville’s last class of the day on the first day of term.</p><p> </p><p>He could feel the fear in the room as he sat down with the rest of his year group. They were segregated into their houses in this classroom, but they hadn’t been in any other class. The class was about as bad as Neville expected it to be. Alecto told them that Muggles were animals and should be treated in the same vein as house-elves. She talked of how they stole magic and created Muggle-borns. She spoke about how the natural order would now be restored so that the wizarding world could become stronger once more.</p><p> </p><p>Neville grew angrier and angrier as she spoke, but he bit his tongue and kept his head down. He hadn’t had Defence Against the Dark Arts that day, but he knew that Ginny had and when he saw her walk into the great hall for dinner trying to conceal a limp, he was immediately concerned.</p><p> </p><p>“What happened?” He whispered as he sat down next to her at the table.</p><p> </p><p>“Not here,” Ginny muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked up to the table where the Carrows were surveying the students. Alecto caught his eye and smirked. Neville glared at her and tore his eyes away.</p><p> </p><p>“That woman is evil,” Neville muttered to Ginny, “Muggle Studies is designed to make us hate Muggles. We’re old enough to understand that she’s a psycho, but the younger students aren’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then we need to hope this isn’t going to last for long,” Ginny whispered, “But don’t talk about it here.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded and looked down at his food. He didn’t feel very hungry.</p><p> </p><p>On the way up to the common room after dinner, Ginny took a detour. She kept glancing around to make sure that they weren’t being followed. Neville didn’t know what she was doing until he realised what corridor they were in, and then her pacing made sense.</p><p> </p><p>A door appeared, and she dragged him into the Room of Requirement.</p><p> </p><p>“I think we can talk freely here,” Ginny said, breathing out a relieved sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“What did he do to you?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“He made us torture each other,” Ginny replied, her eyes meeting Neville’s, “He made the more willing of the Slytherins use the cruciatus curse on us then he imperiused some of the Gryffindors and made them torture the Hufflepuffs.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did he use it on you?” Neville said, his eyes burning angrily.</p><p> </p><p>“I had the cruciatus curse used on me, but he couldn’t control me with the imperius curse,” Ginny smiled triumphantly, “I’m stronger than that.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “You are,” he agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“Did Alecto do anything to you?” Ginny asked.</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head, “No, she didn’t hurt anyone, but she did try and brainwash us. I dread to think what they will do if they catch students out of bed after curfew.”</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t warrant thinking about,” Ginny admitted, “But now that you have seen for yourself how bad it is, don’t you think we ought to do something?”</p><p> </p><p>“I want to,” Neville admitted, “But we’re just students. The teachers aren’t even defending themselves against the Carrows so what can we do?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s going to be about small victories,” Ginny said honestly, “This isn’t going to be an all-out war. Think of it like the goblin wars.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked at her blankly, “The goblin wars?”</p><p> </p><p>“Let me guess; you don’t listen in History of Magic?” Ginny quipped.</p><p>                                                                                                             </p><p>“You do?” Neville asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny shot him an amused look, “I listen enough to pass the exams, but my point is, this is guerrilla warfare.”</p><p> </p><p>“Right,” Neville said, he leant against the wall and smiled at her, “Assume I’m an idiot and tell me all about that.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny snorted, “We can’t fight them in a field battle. It’s a handful of us against those two Death Eaters and the large army that they can call upon by pressing the giant snakes on their arms right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Right,” Neville agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“So we go into hiding and strike when we need to,” Ginny explained, “Whether that is to retrieve food or supplies or to help younger students who are in trouble. We strike at night; we use every advantage we have.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Like secret passageways and maybe even ghosts,” Ginny answered.</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “We disappear then? We get the DA together and disappear into the Room of Requirement. We only surface when we need something?”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Ginny said.</p><p> </p><p>“I can think of one issue with your plan,” Neville admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Which is?”</p><p> </p><p>“The Slytherins know about this room,” Neville said, “They know how to get into it, well Malfoy does anyway. When we all disappear, won’t he just tell the Carrows that we’re in here?”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s the only one who can sell us out,” Ginny pointed out, “The others might know about the room, but he is the only one who knows how to get into it, so I think we should take the chance.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or I talk to him,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked at him in disbelief, “Talk to him? Neville, he’s a Death Eater! He tried to kill Dumbledore!”</p><p> </p><p>“But before that, he was a kid,” Neville said, his eyes meeting Ginny’s once more, “A kid I used to play dragons and house elves with in my Grandmothers back garden. I don’t think he wants this Gin.”</p><p> </p><p>“Talking to him is risky,” Ginny said, chewing her lip anxiously.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not any riskier than setting up the DA in the Room of Requirement just to be ambushed,” Neville pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny sighed, “I mean…you’re right Neville but…I don’t like it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Neither do I, but I don’t see what choice we have,” Neville admitted, “And we can’t rush into this plan either. The Carrows are bearable if we just keep our heads down as much as possible.”</p><p> </p><p>“Bearable? Amycus gets off on seeing students torture each other!” Ginny hissed, “And Alecto prefers to inflict the torture herself!”</p><p> </p><p>“I just mean, we need to be selective about who we invite back here,” Neville said honestly, “We can’t have another Marietta Edgecombe, Gin. There is far too much at risk this time. We need to make sure every single person we invite here can be trusted completely.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re right,” Ginny said with a sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“Start thinking about it,” Neville said, reaching out to grab her hand, “And keep your mouth shut around the Carrows if you can. They can only torture us if we give them a reason to.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny just nodded in response.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“I wasn’t wrong about you being better than Draco,” Blaise said, throwing himself onto a sofa and sitting as close to Daphne as he could.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne looked up at him, “No?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Blaise said, he stretched out and put his arm around her shoulder, “He sleeps with blokes now.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Daphne asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah,” Blaise smirked, “Him and Theo.”</p><p> </p><p>“Theo?” Sadie asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh come on Sade, you know that Theo will shag anything with legs,” Tracey said with a snort, “I don’t think he cares much if it’s got a dick or not.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie frowned, “I know he’s slept with a lot of people, but he always brags about it, and they are all female.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well he’s not going to brag about the blokes, is he?” Blaise retorted.</p><p> </p><p>“How do you know they were shagging anyway?” Tracey asked bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>“Because my bed is next to Draco’s,” Blaise pointed out, “So when Draco got in last night after the Carrows had beaten the shit out of him, I heard their lovers tiff, and I told them to put a silencing charm up so that I didn’t have to hear anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“So they could have just been talking then, knowing those two,” Daphne said.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah they could have been,” Blaise said calmly, “But when Alecto came in because of the unauthorised silencing charm she pulled the curtains on the bed back and they were snogging so…”</p><p> </p><p>“So you actually saw them?” Daphne asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“Unfortunately,” Blaise said distastefully, “So if anyone is good enough with the charm to obliviate me that would be great.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, it’s funnier to leave you mentally scarred,” Daphne chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>At that point, their conversation came to an end because Draco and Theo stepped into the common room together, followed by Alecto and Amycus Carrow.</p><p> </p><p>“Students of Slytherin,” Alecto said in a commanding tone, “I have an announcement to make. As of tonight, we have a new squad of Enforcers. This squad will enforce the standards of the Dark Lord. It will be commanded by Nott and Malfoy, the two true followers of the Dark Lord in your midst.”</p><p> </p><p>Many eyes widened at this news, because although many people knew that Draco was a Death Eater, not so many knew about Theo.</p><p> </p><p>“Respect them because they have the right to punish any students who do not obey the rules, regardless of their house,” Alecto said on a final note before she left the room.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo,” Sadie said quietly, “You’re not…”</p><p> </p><p>Theo rolled his eyes and lifted his sleeve, “Come on, Draco, let’s show them all what we are.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco lifted his sleeve too and the two snakes on their arms hissed.</p><p> </p><p>The younger students in the common room recoiled in fear, and Sadie’s eyes darkened. Daphne gripped her friend's hand and pulled her onto the sofa next to her and Blaise.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy was watching from the side-lines anxiously, her eyes on Draco even though he refused to look at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Follow the rules and honour the Dark Lord and you will not have a problem with us,” Theo said darkly, “But if you don’t do those things then we will have to show you what we are capable of.”</p><p> </p><p>Crabbe and Goyle, being the idiots that they were, stepped forward and started to clap. Some of the sixth year students who were glory hunters did too, but the majority of Draco and Theo’s friends just looked on warily.</p><p> </p><p>Tears shone in Sadie’s eyes, “But Theo-”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s too late to save my soul, Sadie,” Theo said, his tone was dark, but his eyes were soft as he met hers. He stepped forward and gripped her wrist. She breathed in sharply but then realised that Theo was pulling her in close so that he could whisper in her ear, “My conscience is clean.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie breathed a sigh of relief and caught his eye. She nodded in understanding.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy crossed the room and gripped Draco’s hand, “I’m with you, Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked at her warily, “Pansy, the danger you’re putting yourself in-”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care,” Pansy said firmly, “Death Eater or not, dark wizard or not, I’m <em>with </em>you.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco held her gaze for a moment longer than he should have done then he closed the small gap between them and kissed her tentatively. She leant into the kiss and deepened it, her hand letting go of his and resting on the side of his face gently. Her touch was gentle and loving, and he believed her words whole-heartedly.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne looked away from the kiss between her ex-boyfriend and Pansy. She hadn’t been a spiteful person once upon a time, but heartbreak had made her cold. She shuffled next to Blaise on the sofa so that she could turn her head and smile at him, “Well at least there is one good man left in this common room.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise smiled back, “Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Daphne said, pushing herself onto her knees so that she could kiss him. Blaise was surprised, but he kissed her back, losing his hands in her hair as he deepened the kiss.</p><p> </p><p>They were unaware of Tracey scoffing and muttering to Sadie, “She’s becoming quite the little user, isn’t she?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie watched the exchange between Daphne and Blaise anxiously and nodded, “Yeah, the break-up with Draco changed her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hardened her more like,” Tracey muttered.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. I Want to Let Go</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The castle was indeed under 24-hour surveillance. Neville and Ginny came to realise this as the week wore on. Lavender made a comment against one of the Carrows in the Gryffindor common room, and ten minutes later, Alecto had dragged her out of Gryffindor Tower. When she returned, she had been tortured and needed tending to by Gryffindor’s most promising Healer which happened to be Ginny.</p><p> </p><p>It had only confirmed Neville’s suspicions that there were spies and listening charms everywhere. He managed to get a message to Anthony Goldstein and Susan Bones. He urged them to pass this information on to any former DA members that they could.</p><p> </p><p>As the week wore on, he tried to get a moment alone with Draco. He knew that doing so was going to be difficult because first of all, he had to catch Draco when he didn’t have Pansy or Theo with him. But he also had to think of somewhere away from the listening charms.</p><p> </p><p>It was apparent that Draco and Theo were regarded as royalty by the Death Eaters. They swanned around the school like they owned the place with smirks on their faces, but it didn’t escape Neville’s notice that they never hurt anyone. When rules were broken, they shot warning sparks in the rule-breakers direction. They used minor burning or cutting curses but nothing that could do any damage. He had never seen them use the unforgivable curses either. It just furthered Neville’s belief that they didn’t want to be doing what they were doing.</p><p> </p><p>In the end, Neville decided that he would have to corner Draco near the statue of the humpbacked witch. It was a secret that he didn’t want to give away, but it was a small one compared to the Room of Requirement. However, it was on the third floor, and Draco would only be there when he was coming in or out of the Charms classroom. The Carrows domains were on the sixth floor and in the Defence Against the Dark Arts Tower respectively so Neville thought it would be safe enough to delay Draco after class then ambush him.</p><p> </p><p>Neville left the classroom immediately and disillusioned himself in the corridor outside. When Draco left the class, he hit him with a confundus charm. The blond man stopped and frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s up Draco?” Theo asked his friend.</p><p> </p><p>“I think I left something in the classroom,” Draco replied.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll come in and get it with you,” Pansy offered.</p><p> </p><p>Neville cursed wordlessly. If she did that, then his whole plan would be ruined.</p><p> </p><p>“No, you go to Defence,” Draco said quickly, he dropped Pansy’s hand, “I don’t want you guys getting in trouble for being late. I can only imagine what Amycus will do.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy opened her mouth to object, but Theo grabbed her arm, “He’s right, come on Pans. Don’t be too late mate.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll try not to be,” Draco said, and he disappeared back into the Charms classroom.</p><p> </p><p>Neville blew out a breath of relief. By the time Draco left the classroom for the second time, the third floor corridor was empty. Neville followed Draco along the hallway and opened the passageway with a whisper and a tap of his wand. When Draco reached him, Neville shoved him into the passageway then dove in after him.</p><p> </p><p>Draco fell down the small gap and landed on the concrete floor with an irritated humph. A few seconds later, Neville landed on top of him.</p><p> </p><p>“What the-” Draco scrambled back, his eyes wide with fear.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry for the smoke and mirrors,” Neville said, taking the disillusionment charm off.</p><p> </p><p>“Longbottom!” Draco exclaimed, “What the fuck?”</p><p> </p><p>“I needed to talk to you alone,” Neville told him, “And there are listening charms everywhere.”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly! So how do you know that there aren’t any here?” Draco asked, narrowing his eyes at the Gryffindor.</p><p> </p><p>“Because the Carrows don’t know about this passageway,” Neville assured Draco.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked around, “Where does it go?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hogsmeade,” Neville answered, “It’s a useful one to know about if you ever need to sneak in or out of the castle. Mind you; I doubt that’s a worry for you.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned but said nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“You can use dark magic to get in and out, can’t you?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s it to you if I can?” Draco asked defensively.</p><p> </p><p>“Just confirming a hunch,” Neville said honestly, “Look Malfoy, I don’t know what side you’re on here, but I’m hoping it’s ours.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not on anyone’s side Longbottom, I’m just trying to survive,” Draco said irritably.</p><p> </p><p>“Well then I hope you’ll do the right thing and help a lot of other people survive,” Neville said with a sigh, “I’m not asking you for a miracle Malfoy. I just need to know that if a large chunk of people disappear and if those people happened to be members of a secret society, that you wouldn’t tell the Carrows where those people had gone even if you know.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned and looked up at him, “And why should I help you, exactly?”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have any reason to,” Neville agreed, “But it would be the right thing to do and…I don’t think that you want this life.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco scoffed, “I was chosen-”</p><p> </p><p>“Against your will,” Neville cut in sharply. His eyes met the blond man’s grey eyes, “This isn’t you Draco, you don’t want this. I remember the 5-year-old kid I used to play Aurors and Death Eaters with, and you were never the Death Eater.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed and glanced down at his feet.</p><p> </p><p>“You always wanted to be the Auror, I was always lumped with being the Death Eater who got chased around the garden,” Neville said with a slight smile, “Which was okay until the peacocks started chasing me too.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco cracked a small smile, “That was rather funny.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled at him, “What do you say? Can we call a tentative truce?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco caught his eye and wavered, “I…no, I can’t do a truce. I can promise not to divulge any information about your whereabouts even if I do suspect that I know where you have gone. But I need you to obliviate me first.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville frowned, “Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because I will get called out of the castle for Death Eater meetings and when I do, my mind is going to be probed,” Draco admitted, “Regardless of whether or not I remember this conversation I will not tell them where you are. I know that is probably hard for you to believe, but even if you hadn’t asked me to, I would have stayed quiet.”</p><p> </p><p>“So if I obliviate you it protects all of us?” Neville realised.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Draco said with a nod, “You can do it without frying my mind, can’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not Ron,” Neville snorted.</p><p> </p><p>“And you have a new wand,” Draco noted.</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Yeah, it’s amazing what you can do when you get bought a new wand for the first time going into your sixth year. You ready?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded and closed his eyes, “Do it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Obliviate!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I have a small number of people I would trust with my life. Tonight at 7 pm. Be there.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Neville looked up and caught Ginny’s eye across the hall. The note in his hand burst into flames and he crunched it in his hand, turning it into ash. He gave her a brief nod then looked back down into his dinner.</p><p> </p><p>After they had eaten, they retired to the common room where they did not speak about the note. As it neared 7 pm, Neville and Ginny slipped out of the common room into the Room of Requirement. Luna was already there, and a few minutes later they were joined by Seamus, Lavender and Parvati.</p><p> </p><p>Luna pointed her wand at the door and said, “Nostra celare.”</p><p> </p><p>“What did you just do, Luna?” Lavender asked curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I used a powerful concealment charm on the door,” Luna said with an airy smile, “To anyone glancing at it, it will look like a window.”</p><p> </p><p>“Genius,” Ginny said, smiling proudly at her friend.</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled around at them, “So this is your small group, Gin?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded, “Beyond the people in our own house and Luna, I don’t trust the others enough yet.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not after what happened in fifth year,” Seamus agreed darkly.</p><p> </p><p>“So what are we going to do?” Parvati asked nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“We are going to hide out in here,” Ginny replied, “We won’t go to classes, and we will only leave when we need to.”</p><p> </p><p>“What about everyone else in the DA?” Lavender asked with a frown, “Are we just going to leave them alone?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, we need to work out how we can keep an eye out for them,” Neville said honestly, “If someone is in danger, we’ll bring them into the fold, but it’s the only way to ensure that we can trust everyone in the DA.”</p><p> </p><p>“How are we going to keep an eye on them from here?” Parvati asked. She narrowed her eyes at Neville, “Because my twin sister is a Ravenclaw, but I would trust her with my life.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think we can make an exception for Padma,” Ginny admitted, looking at Neville, “Don’t you Neville?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Yeah, Parvati. When we move in here, make sure Padma is in on the secret too. But you make a good point about keeping an eye on the others.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s simple, really,” Luna spoke up, “We can ask the ghosts to help us.”</p><p> </p><p>“The ghosts?” Neville asked slowly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I’m sure that the Grey Lady would help us,” Luna continued, “She is very kind. I talk to her all of the time.”</p><p> </p><p>“The ghosts,” Neville said with a frown, “If they were willing they would be the perfect lookout and…the Carrows would never expect it.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s brilliant, Luna,” Ginny said with a grin, “Do you think you can get the Grey Lady to come here so that we can talk to her about it?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think the ghosts must know about this room,” Luna mused as she looked around the room, “And I know how to call the Grey Lady.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that a yes?” Lavender asked.</p><p> </p><p>Luna nodded, “Oh, would you like me to do it now?”</p><p> </p><p>“No time like the present,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>Luna hummed, “Well…I will need a mirror.”</p><p> </p><p>Upon these words, a mirror appeared in the centre of the room.</p><p> </p><p>“And the lights must be out,” Luna added.</p><p> </p><p>Neville glanced at Ginny warily. Ginny shrugged and said, “Nox.”</p><p> </p><p>The lights in the room went out. Lavender moved closer to Parvati and gripped her friend tightly.</p><p> </p><p>Luna used her wand to transfigure a candle then she lit it with a flick of her wrist.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny moved a little closer to Neville as Luna looked into the mirror and began to chant, “Helena Ravenclaw. Helena Ravenclaw. Helena Ravenclaw.”</p><p> </p><p>By the time she got to the tenth ‘Helena Ravenclaw’, Ginny had caved and grabbed Neville’s hand. Luna could be dreamy and odd, but right now, she was just downright scary.</p><p> </p><p>On the 13<sup>th</sup> utterance of the name, there was a scream, and a ghostly grey figure appeared inside the mirror. Lavender and Parvati shrieked as the candle flickered, and the ghost came out of the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>“Holy fuck!” Neville exclaimed, jumping back in alarm.</p><p> </p><p>The candle stopped flickering, and Luna cheerfully said, “Hello, Helena.”</p><p> </p><p>The ghost, Helena, sighed and cracked her neck from one side to the other, “Did you have to summon me in such a medieval fashion, my dear Luna? It is ever so painful.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, we needed you to talk to us in this room,” Luna said apologetically.</p><p> </p><p>Neville cleared his throat and Ginny dropped his hand, “Can we put the lights back on now, Luna?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, of course, Neville,” Luna said. She raised her wand and said, “Lumos.”</p><p> </p><p>Even Ginny breathed a little easier as all of the lamps along the walls lit up.</p><p> </p><p>“This is Helena Ravenclaw, the ghost of Ravenclaw house,” Luna explained.</p><p> </p><p>The ghost, who was a beautiful medieval lady, looked at the occupants of the room warily.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay Helena,” Luna said, “They are my friends. I trust them.”</p><p> </p><p>“And we need your help,” Neville admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“How so?” Helena asked.</p><p> </p><p>“We were hoping that the ghosts of the castle would be able to help us stay away from the Carrows,” Neville explained, “I know that part of your job as a ghost is to protect the school and its students so I hoped you would be our eyes and ears while we go into hiding.”</p><p> </p><p>Helena frowned and floated back a little, “I can guarantee that I will do my part to help you and I expect you will have the support of some of the other more empathetic ghosts. However, if you wish for all of the ghosts to work together to help you protect the school, you would have to call a meeting of the ghosts.”</p><p> </p><p>“A meeting of the ghosts?” Ginny asked.</p><p> </p><p>Helena bowed her head, “Yes, and such a thing has not happened for over one hundred years.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, how would one call a meeting?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“They must summon the leader of the ghosts,” Helena answered.</p><p> </p><p>“The ghosts have a leader?” Neville asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course we do,” Helena replied, she sounded moderately offended.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Neville said sheepishly, “But how does that work exactly?”</p><p> </p><p>“Traditionally the leader of the ghosts is the person who ranked the highest while they were alive,” Helena replied.</p><p> </p><p>Neville sighed, “Okay, so I think I know the answer to this question, and I don’t think I’m going to like it. Who is the leader of the ghosts?”</p><p> </p><p>“The Bloody Baron,” Helena replied darkly.</p><p> </p><p>“I knew it,” Neville muttered, “And I don’t like it.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked over at him, “You do realise what this means, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Yeah, it means I’m going to have to talk to Malfoy again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Malfoy?” Seamus asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s sort of an ally,” Neville said offhandedly, “But it’s a tenuous peace at best.”</p><p> </p><p>“But he will know how to get the Baron to help us,” Ginny pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah…” Neville said, his eyes widening as an idea formed in his head, “But he’s not the only Slytherin who will.”</p><p> </p><p>“What other Slytherin do you know who would help us?” Parvati asked curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“There’s one person,” Neville admitted, “Sadie, she lives near my Grandmother. We spent a bit of time together before sixth year.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, “Did you?”</p><p> </p><p>“It wasn’t like that,” Neville said with a shake of his head, “She was my first kiss, it was awkward, and we laughed about it later, but that’s all there is to it. She isn’t like the other Slytherins though, she’s kind, and she’s smart.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well then,” Ginny said with a note of finality, “You had better think about how to corner her, because until we have a plan in place we have to stay in the castle and the longer I spend with the Carrows, the harder it is to keep my mouth shut and my head down.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “I’ll talk to her. Until then, we communicate by notes when nobody is looking, and we make sure that they incinerate within thirty seconds. We do not speak a word about the plan outside of these walls.”</p><p> </p><p>The others all nodded. They didn’t need Neville to drum the seriousness of this into them. They knew that it was war.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>Sadie was walking from Charms to Herbology when Neville walked by her very closely and pressed something against her hand. She opened it instinctively, and he murmured, “Read it now.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie was aware of Daphne and Tracey’s wary eyes on her, but she looked down at the note anyway.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Hang back after Herbology. Behind greenhouse 3. It’s important.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The note then burst into flames.</p><p> </p><p>“Aguamenti,” Sadie whispered, vanishing the evidence.</p><p> </p><p>“What was that?” Daphne asked in a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>“It was…” Sadie trailed off, aware of Alecto Carrow’s nearby presence.</p><p> </p><p>“It was a booty call,” Tracey waded in to save Sadie’s arse, “Which you are not going to be responding to.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne cottoned on quickly enough, “You had better not for at least three reasons.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smiled in amusement, “Three?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, the first reason being that you are so much hotter than him,” Daphne said matter of factly.</p><p> </p><p>“The second being that he is a Gryffindor,” Tracey added.</p><p> </p><p>“And the third being that he’s Neville Longbottom,” Daphne finished.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie laughed, “Thanks for the ego boost girls, but I wasn’t planning on responding to the booty call anyway because I respect myself.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto rolled her eyes, “Less gossiping, more walking. Hurry up!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes Professor Carrow,” Daphne said, casting her eyes down.</p><p> </p><p>The other two girls fell silent as they walked to Herbology. While they were in the greenhouse, Neville kept glancing over at Sadie, and she was trying very hard not to notice it.</p><p> </p><p>“Longbottom is making eyes at you,” Tracey whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“No, he isn’t,” Sadie said with a roll of her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You used to date him,” Daphne said, nudging her in the side.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t date him,” Sadie scoffed, “I kissed him once when I was like 15.”                                                        </p><p> </p><p>“He was your first kiss though,” Tracey whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“So?”</p><p> </p><p>“So the first kiss is a big deal,” Daphne murmured, “My first kiss was with Draco, and I fell head over heels for that prick,” she looked up and caught Draco’s eye across the table.</p><p> </p><p>Draco had heard his name mentioned, but he hadn’t been close enough to understand precisely what Daphne said. He smiled at her, but she rolled her eyes and looked back down at her workbench.</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t ignore him forever,” Sadie pointed out in a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>“I know, but I can ignore him for a little bit longer,” Daphne muttered, “It’s been less than six months since we broke up and we dated for nearly two years.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes Daphne, I know, you went on about it all summer,” Tracey reminded her best friend.</p><p> </p><p>“She has a right to be upset,” Sadie cut in, giving Tracey a warning look. She then turned to look at Daphne, “But you can’t stay mad at him forever, and…it’s not Pansy’s fault, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Daphne muttered irritably.</p><p> </p><p>“Girls,” Professor Sprout said politely, “Less chattering, please.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry Professor,” The girls chorused.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>After Herbology, the bell rang for lunch, but Sadie hung back like Neville had instructed her to in his note. Daphne shot her a knowing look and Tracey made kissy faces at her which Theo frowned at as Draco dragged him out of the greenhouse.</p><p> </p><p>Neville left the greenhouse first, and Sadie purposefully took a while to pack up her bag then she left too. Instead of heading up to the school, she slipped around the back where Neville was waiting for her. The reason that ‘behind greenhouse 3’ was a notorious hook-up spot was pretty apparent. There was a thin gap between the glass wall of the greenhouse and the brick wall of the courtyard behind it. Venomous Tentacula and other vine-like plants grew up the wall of the greenhouse which obscured this little gap from view.</p><p> </p><p>“Neville, I hope this is serious,” Sadie whispered, “Because Daphne and Tracey are both winding me up something rotten because they think I’m hooking up with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Neville said sheepishly, “I kind of needed them to think that. I knew they would see the note and I didn’t want to arouse suspicion.”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s going on?” Sadie asked, looking up at Neville and leaning against the brick wall.</p><p> </p><p>Neville leant against the greenhouse wall, “I need your advice, and there are listening charms everywhere in the castle. You know about them, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course we do, Draco told us,” Sadie answered, “What do you need my advice about?”</p><p> </p><p>“The Bloody Baron,” Neville admitted, “I can’t tell you why but I need to call a meeting of the school ghosts and to do that, I have to call their leader.”</p><p> </p><p>“So you need to get the Baron on your side,” Sadie realised.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Neville said, “But I don’t know how to do that because he hates Gryffindors and well…pretty much everyone apart from Slytherins.”</p><p> </p><p>“He hates most of us too,” Sadie admitted with a slight smile, “But I do know how to get him to listen to you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“He feels forgotten,” Sadie explained, “Like history has forgotten about the good he did and has only remembered the bad. He hates being treated like a villain, and he likes being able to tell his story from his point of view. If you listen to him and sympathise with him, whether you agree with his point of view or not, then he might just do what you ask of him.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled, “That information is solid gold. Thank you, Sadie.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smiled, “I don’t want this Neville. The things that are happening in the school right now scare me. I’m worried about my friends and my family. My brother is out there fighting right now, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, he knew that Sadie’s older brother was an Auror, “These are dark times, that is for sure, but the only way to get through them is together.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie caught his eye, “Do you really believe that?”</p><p> </p><p>“I have to,” Neville replied, “But Sadie, can I ask you something else?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded, “Yes?”</p><p> </p><p>“Malfoy and Nott…are they really as bad as it looks like they are?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie bit her lip, “It’s complicated Neville. We’re all just trying to stay alive.”</p><p> </p><p>“But-”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s all I can say,” Sadie said firmly, “I need to go. The girls will get suspicious if I’m much later to lunch.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful what you say and who you say it to, Sadie,” Neville said when she made a move to leave, “There are ears everywhere.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded, “You look after yourself too,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>Before Neville could say anything else, she had slipped out into the grounds.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie sucked in a breath and hurried up to the castle, hoping that everybody was already inside for lunch. Unfortunately, she wasn’t that lucky.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re crazy.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie looked over and sighed when she saw Theo hovering by the doors to the entrance hall, “Theo, that wasn’t what it-”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” Theo muttered under his breath, “Cause it looked like you were hooking up with a Gryffindor, a Gryffindor associated with Potter. Are you out of your mind? You’re putting a massive target on your back by doing that!”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie wanted to say that she hadn’t been hooking up with Neville because she wasn’t like Theo. But she knew that she couldn’t because then Theo would demand the truth and the truth could get a lot of people in trouble.</p><p> </p><p>“I get it,” Sadie said, looking Theo in the eye, “It was stupid, and it won’t happen again. Okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Theo said, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulder and ushering her into the castle, “You need to look out for your own right now, Sade.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like you’re looking out for Draco?” Sadie asked. She couldn’t help herself.</p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh come on Theo,” Sadie scoffed, “Everyone knows that you slept with him, Blaise told the whole of Slytherin house.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked around the hall and shook his head. He pulled Sadie into a secret alcove behind a tapestry and wrote in the air. <em>I didn’t. We talked in secret, but the Carrows couldn’t know that. So we had to pretend.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Sadie raised an eyebrow at him. <em>Did you kiss? </em>She wrote.</p><p> </p><p>Theo made a face and nodded. He then wrote, <em>He’s a terrible kisser.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Sadie laughed out loud at that and wrote, <em>Not gay then?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Theo shook his head and kissed her on the cheek, “No, Sade, definitely not. See you in Potions.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smiled as he slipped out of the alcove, “See you.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Did you have a nice smooch with Longbottom?”</p><p> </p><p>“I wasn’t hooking up with him,” Sadie muttered as she climbed into Daphne’s four-poster bed and pulled the covers over herself.</p><p> </p><p>“So you were just chatting about plants behind the greenhouse then?” Daphne asked, lying on her side and propping herself up on her elbow as she surveyed her friend.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie rolled her eyes and pointed her wand up at the roof. She whispered, “Tempus perturbare.”</p><p> </p><p>A golden glow spread from the centre of the roof, down the walls and over the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“Wow,” Tracey said, popping her head out of her bed, “What did you just do?”</p><p> </p><p>“I disrupted the temporal composition of the room. It will mess with the listening charms briefly so that we can talk privately,” Sadie answered.</p><p> </p><p>At this, Pansy peered out of her bed, “You froze time so that you could tell us about how you <em>weren’t</em> hooking up with Longbottom?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne snorted, “Sounds like Sade.”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t freeze time, I disrupted it,” Sadie said with a wave of her hand, “It will jumble five minutes of conversation up so that it sounds like garbled nonsense to anyone listening in.”</p><p> </p><p>“You are awesome,” Tracey said, staring at her friend in awe, “I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smiled slightly, “I wasn’t hooking up with him. He was asking me for advice about something because we used to be friends. Yes, he was my first kiss, but that was a long time ago.”</p><p> </p><p>“You disrupted time to tell us that?” Daphne asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I disrupted time to tell you that I’ve been working on something,” Sadie said honestly, “It’s a long-term version of the spell that I just used. If I can perfect it, it will disrupt the temporal composition of an entire room permanently.”</p><p> </p><p>“Meaning that anything said in that room would just sound like garbled noise?” Daphne asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Wouldn’t that just make the Carrows suspicious?” Pansy questioned.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah Pansy has a point,” Tracey admitted, “Wouldn’t they just come and check out the room?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not if it had been made unplottable,” Sadie said.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne’s eyes widened, “That is…”</p><p> </p><p>“Genius,” Tracey finished.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded, “They would assume it was just an error. They wouldn’t be able to find the room even if they were standing right in front of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Sadie said.</p><p> </p><p>“One problem,” Tracey said as she raised her hand.</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t know how to make a room unplottable?” Sadie guessed.</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t,” Pansy agreed, “But Draco does.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne’s eyes widened, “Of course he does, he helped his father redesign the wards for the Manor.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded, “That required powerful magic, but we would only be hiding one room. If we make it a relatively small one, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you have a room in mind?” Daphne asked Sadie.</p><p> </p><p>“I have an idea,” Sadie admitted sheepishly, “But it’s a bathroom.”</p><p> </p><p>“A bathroom?” Daphne asked distastefully.</p><p> </p><p>“A flooded bathroom,” Sadie added.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh no, not Myrtle's bathroom?” Tracey groaned.</p><p> </p><p>“No, the boys' bathroom just down the hall from Myrtles,” Sadie answered, “The corridor leading into it is flooded and always has an out of order sign on it. All that leads off of that corridor is the bathroom, an old potions store and a broom cupboard. I thought we could use it to meet up, to begin with. But if such a time comes when the common room is no longer safe, then we may need to use it on a permanent basis, so having a potions store nearby would be helpful.”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s a genius,” Daphne said with a shake of her head.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy smiled at the blonde girl, “You’re officially in charge.”</p><p> </p><p>“In charge of what?” Sadie asked nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“The Slytherin rebellion,” Tracey said, her eyes flashing with excitement.</p><p> </p><p>The golden glow flickered. Sadie looked up, “The spell will end soon. Pansy, will you be able to take Draco somewhere private so you can ask him to put the wards up on the bathroom?”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded, and the glow flickered again, “I know somewhere perfect. Once he has made the bathroom unplottable I’ll let you know and then you can do your fancy glowy magic.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smiled, and the glow flickered for a final time. The spell came to an end and fizzled out; golden sparks rained down on them all.</p><p> </p><p>“Ugh,” Daphne muttered as she waved them away with magic, “I feel like a Gryffindor.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy chuckled and caught her friend’s eye, “Does this mean we’re on speaking terms again, Daphne?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne looked over at the dark-haired girl. She looked torn for a moment as she remembered what Sadie and Tracey had said to her in the greenhouse earlier that day, “Yeah Pansy, it’s not your fault that Draco and I didn’t work out.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy smiled genuinely at that.</p><p> </p><p>“If you can love him, Death Eater and all then that’s up to you,” Daphne added, “But I couldn’t.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded, “And you’re dating Blaise now, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not dating him,” Daphne muttered because she wasn’t, “I don’t do dating, okay? Dating just leads to heartbreak, and I will not be wasting any energy on that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Does Blaise know that?” Tracey asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course he does,” Daphne replied smoothly, “And he is fine with it. If we all die in a horrible battle at the end of this, at least he will have had a year of fabulous broom closet encounters with me, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie snorted, “Not that you’re at all big-headed,” she remarked.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shot her friend a grin, “I’m a wonderful kisser, just ask Blaise.”</p><p> </p><p>The other girls laughed at this then Daphne nudged Sadie, “Are you going to sleep in your own bed at all this year?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie shook her head and snuggled in closer to Daphne, “No, I can’t sleep on my own right now.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shook her head in amusement, “You’re worse than my baby sister,” she said, shooting an exasperated look in Tracey’s direction.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey just chuckled and turned out the light, “Night girls.”</p><p> </p><p>“Night Trace.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Neville thought he was ready to face the Bloody Baron, but when push came to shove and he found himself standing in the Room of Requirement, having just summoned him, he felt less sure.</p><p> </p><p>When the Baron spun into view, he looked down at Neville and Ginny warily.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh…good evening Baron,” Neville said nervously, “How are you?”</p><p> </p><p>The Baron raised an eyebrow at Neville, “Get to the point, student.”</p><p> </p><p>“We need your help,” Neville began.</p><p> </p><p>“I do not help <em>Gryffindors</em>,” The Baron said, looking at them distastefully.</p><p> </p><p>“No but you are a house ghost and a Hogwarts ghost,” Neville said firmly, “You have a duty to the students of this school, and right now because of Snape and the Carrows, students are in danger. You would be lying if you said you hadn’t noticed, Alecto is torturing students who step out of line. Amycus is forcing students to torture each other and Snape is turning a blind eye to all of it while he hides out in his dark cave like the bat that he is.”</p><p> </p><p>“And what do you expect me to do about it?” The Baron asked coolly.</p><p> </p><p>“I formally request a meeting of the ghosts of Hogwarts,” Neville said authoritatively, “So that they may help the students who are in peril during this dark time. I believe if the leader of the ghosts puts it to a vote, the ghosts would be in favour of helping us.”</p><p> </p><p>The Baron narrowed his eyes at Neville, “And if the leader of the ghosts does not want to do this?”</p><p> </p><p>“Then the leader of the ghosts is not doing what is in the best interests for the school that he protects,” Neville said, staring the ghost down, “You let people down while you were alive. All of history remembers you as a villain and a murderer. Do you want that to remain the way they see you in centuries to come? Or do you want to be known for the good that you have done, finally?”</p><p> </p><p>“You dare to speak to me in that manner, boy?” The Baron asked coldly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I dare Baron,” Neville said calmly, “Because all it takes for evil to win is for good men to do nothing.”</p><p> </p><p>The Baron scoffed and spun around, “I shall call a meeting of the ghosts at the witching hour. If the vote goes in your favour, you will liaise with Nicholas from now on. I do not like students, especially headstrong Gryffindors.”</p><p> </p><p>With that, he disappeared through the wall.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked over at Neville, “That went…well? I think that went well.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Neville said, frowning at the spot on the wall, “I think it went well too.”</p><p> </p><p>“How did you do that?” Ginny asked, looking at Neville in surprise, “It was like you knew exactly what buttons to push.”</p><p> </p><p>“I need to thank Sadie for that one when I get the chance,” Neville admitted with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you coming back to the common room?” Ginny asked as she headed for the door.</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head, “No, I’m going to wait here until Nearly Headless Nick tells me how the meeting went. I don’t want to risk him talking to me about it where the Carrows can hear.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be late for your Defence Against the Dark Arts class tomorrow morning,” Ginny warned him, “You know what Amycus will do to you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Neville said curtly, “I’ll be fine, Gin. See you tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>“See you tomorrow, Nev.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
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  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. I Want to Shine On in the Hearts of Men</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>“The ghosts have agreed to your request.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked up sharply. He had been half-asleep.</p><p> </p><p>Nearly Headless Nick floated in front of him, a triumphant smile on his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” Neville asked, pushing himself to his feet.</p><p> </p><p>“The council of the ghosts voted in favour of protecting the school and all of its students,” Nick informed Neville, “And the Baron asked that I liaise with you about the best way to do that.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville grinned, “Yes! I can’t believe it worked!”</p><p> </p><p>“You bested the Baron,” Nick said, smiling at him, “It is no easy feat, you ought to be proud of yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s grin didn’t wafer, “Perfect…this is perfect. We can start to get people to safety tonight. Nick, we are going to use this room as a hideout, but that means we can’t go to classes or leave unless it’s under cover of darkness. So we need you and the other ghosts to be our eyes and ears within the castle. Anything you see the Carrows do to the students, you must report it to either myself, Ginny or Luna.”</p><p> </p><p>Nick bowed his head and then caught it as it threatened to roll off, “You have my word.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Neville said gratefully.</p><p> </p><p>He grabbed his school bag and looked down at his watch then cursed, “I need to go Nick but thank you!”</p><p> </p><p>He then dashed out of the Room of Requirement and headed for the grand staircase. He had fallen asleep while he waited for Nick to appear with the news, and he had slept through breakfast. He only had three minutes to get to Defence Against the Dark Arts, and it was at best a ten-minute jog from the seventh floor.</p><p> </p><p>When Neville crashed into the classroom, all eyes turned to look at him.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus looked at the clock on the wall, “6 minutes late Longbottom.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry Professor,” Neville said as he tried to catch his breath.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus sat on the desk and looked at Theo, “Nott, why don’t you show this Gryffindor what happens when we don’t obey the rules?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo got to his feet and looked at Neville. The Gryffindor boy drew himself up to his full height and watched Theo warily. He could see the trepidation in the Slytherins eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You do know how to use the cruciatus curse, don’t you Nott?” Amycus asked calmly.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I do,” Theo replied smoothly.</p><p> </p><p>“Then prove it,” Amycus ordered.</p><p> </p><p>Theo swallowed and trained his wand on Neville. It required real hatred to use that curse, and he didn’t hate Neville Longbottom, not by a longshot. But if Theo didn’t use the curse, he would give himself away. In essence, he had no choice but to shut his eyes and focus on something he hated; his father.</p><p> </p><p>“Crucio!” Theo spat, he felt his wand buzz in his hand, and it felt aggressive. It was like his own wand knew that he wasn’t made to use this kind of magic.</p><p> </p><p>Theo opened his eyes and saw Neville fall to his knees. The Gryffindor cried out in pain but gritted his teeth, trying not to show how much it hurt.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop it!” A familiar voice cried out.</p><p> </p><p>Neville could have cursed her for standing up and making herself a target.</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, girl!” Amycus said, sending a slashing charm in Susan’s direction.</p><p> </p><p>Susan didn’t back down though. She stayed on her feet and said, “This is sick! You’re too much of a coward to use the unforgivable curses yourself, so you get your students to do your dirty work!”</p><p> </p><p>Amycus laughed, “Too afraid? No, no, that’s not it girl. Crucio!”</p><p> </p><p>Susan wasn’t as good at hiding her pain as Neville. She screamed as the curse threw her to the ground. Neville suspected that a real dark wizard like Amycus could use the cruciatus curse better than someone like Theo.</p><p> </p><p>“Why have a dog and bark yourself?” Amycus finished, he twisted his wand and Susan’s screams got louder.</p><p> </p><p>“Take notes, Nott,” Amycus remarked, “She is screaming in agony, Longbottom is barely phased by what you are doing to him.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo swallowed and twisted his wand as Amycus had. Neville felt his arm jerk in the wrong direction, and he cried out loudly in pain. Sweat began to form on his forehead as he gasped for breath.</p><p> </p><p>“Better,” Amycus smirked. He ended the curse and threw Susan back against one of the desks. Hannah ran to her friend and helped her up, glaring at Amycus while she did so.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus stood behind Theo and smirked, “This looks familiar,” he said. He grabbed Theo’s elbow and instructed him to yank his arm back.</p><p> </p><p>When Theo did so, Neville was thrown to the ground, and he cried out in pain again.</p><p> </p><p>“Your father was there the night that the Longbottoms lost their minds,” Amycus continued cruelly, “Did you all know that about your classmate? He may act like the big man, but his parents were cowards.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville pushed himself to his knees through the pain of the curse, “They were not cowards!” He hissed.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus laughed, “Oh, but they were. Just ask your father, Theodore. They screamed in pain; they screamed for mercy. They lost their minds because they couldn’t take it, some Aurors that they were huh?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked at Amycus with more hatred in his eyes than he had ever managed to muster. He pushed himself to his feet and gripped a desk for support as the cruciatus curse made every nerve in his body feel like it was on fire.</p><p> </p><p>“They were heroes,” He hissed, and with that, he broke free from Theo’s cruciatus curse. He grabbed his wand and tried to blast Amycus back into the desk with it.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus was faster than him, though, he conjured up a shield charm and turned his beady eyes on Neville, “Attacking a teacher, are we?”</p><p> </p><p>He threw Neville against the back wall of the classroom and used the cruciatus curse on him. He had been right, Theo’s curse had been weak, but this was powerful and it hurt like hell. His body convulsed, and he couldn’t suppress the screams of pain anymore. Amycus subjected him to five minutes of the curse, but it felt like hours.</p><p> </p><p>When he finally withdrew his wand, he said, “Incarcerous!” and bound Neville to the wall.</p><p> </p><p>“Longbottom will remain there for the remainder of the lesson,” Amycus said nastily, “And let that be a lesson to all of you,” his eyes fell on Susan, “Especially you Miss. Bones.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville spent the remainder of the hour in agony, but he didn’t let it show. He didn’t want to give Amycus the satisfaction that he was so desperately seeking. When the bell rang to signal the end of the lesson, Amycus instructed Theo to let Neville down.</p><p> </p><p>Theo got closer than he needed to and cut the first tie with a cutting curse. Amycus headed up the stairs into the office above the classroom. Theo then cut the second tie, which freed Neville’s legs.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Theo whispered as he cut the third tie, “I had to do it, or he would have,” he mouthed the word ‘suspected’.</p><p> </p><p>Neville hissed in pain as the final tie was cut and he slid to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t know that my father did that to your parents,” Theo added, and Neville could tell that he was being honest.</p><p> </p><p>He slipped something into Neville’s pocket and leant in to whisper, “Healing potion.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded briskly at Theo and limped out of the classroom. He was unsurprised when he found Susan waiting outside.</p><p> </p><p>“That was stupid,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>She put an arm around his waist to support him, “Gryffindors aren’t the only ones who can be reckless.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Neville asked as he glanced over at her.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be fine. I didn’t spend the last hour strung up,” Susan pointed out, “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville took the phial out of his robe pocket and sniffed it. He then knocked it back and felt it begin to ease his aches and pains, “I will be,” he answered.</p><p> </p><p>Susan grabbed his hand, “Come on. I need to talk to you.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll be late for Arithmancy,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>“No, we won’t be,” Susan assured him. She dragged him into an old classroom with dust-covered desks and drapes over the windows. She pulled one of them down and revealed a hidden mirror.</p><p> </p><p>“Revelio.”</p><p> </p><p>The glass disappeared, and a stone passageway full of cobwebs appeared behind it.</p><p> </p><p>“Hufflepuffs are good at exploring too,” Susan said, she grinned at him and stepped through the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>Neville chuckled and followed her in, “I know. I remember all of the weird and wacky shortcuts you used to use to get to the astronomy tower last year.”</p><p> </p><p>“You do remember?” Susan asked. She raised an eyebrow at him, “I thought you had forgotten all about me.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville frowned and grabbed her hand. She stopped and turned around.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I haven’t forgotten,” Neville said as he looked straight into her emerald green eyes, “I know you didn’t want to call it dating but Susan…” he nearly lost his nerve, but then he carried on, “You meant a lot to me. I wouldn’t have just slept with someone I didn’t care about, especially when it was…”</p><p> </p><p>“Your first time?” Susan asked, a fond smile slipping onto her face.</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s cheeks flushed, “Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re sweet,” Susan said, she leant in and kissed him on the cheek, “But that’s not what this is about. I’m not naïve Neville. We’re in the middle of a war right now. It’s hardly the time to rekindle old flames.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled at her as her hand lingered on his cheek for a moment longer than it should have done, “I enjoyed our secret meetings last year, but I think the sneaking around this year is going to be for a far more sinister reason.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded his agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“So I just wanted to say that I know you have a plan,” Susan said, she was keeping it as cryptic as possible, “And I want in on it.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville held a finger up to tell her to wait for a moment then he pulled a scrap of parchment out of his bag and wrote a note.</p><p> </p><p>Susan held it in her hands and glanced down,</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Room of Requirement. Tonight at 7 pm.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The note burst into flames and Susan blew the ashes away then wiped her hands on her cloak. She looked up at him and nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“Just you,” Neville mouthed.</p><p> </p><p>“But Hannah-”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head and caught her eye.</p><p> </p><p>Susan didn’t look happy about it, but she sighed and nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” Neville said, “Because we really are going to be late for Arithmancy now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Bugger.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Finding somewhere secluded to have a secret conversation with someone was easier when that person was your boyfriend. There were listening charms virtually everywhere in the castle, but the grounds couldn’t be controlled in the same way. This was because it interfered with the magic of the wards, combined with the vastness of the grounds.</p><p> </p><p>The only problem was that the grounds were off-limits. The doors were locked and guarded every night and students were only allowed in the grounds to access outside classes like Herbology.</p><p> </p><p>There were no flying lessons and Care of Magical Creatures class had been suspended. Pansy had no chance of talking to Draco at break because they were treated like prisoners. They were shepherded in and out of the courtyards and watched continuously by Death Eaters.</p><p> </p><p>She put her plan into place after Herbology. The bell rang for lunch, and she grabbed Draco’s hand as they left the greenhouse together. Theo often walked with them, but more often than not now he walked back to school with Sadie. This was mainly because Sadie didn’t want to walk with Daphne and Blaise since they tended to slink off when the Carrows weren’t watching and slip into the great hall half an hour late to lunch, and Sadie did not approve.</p><p> </p><p>While the others headed up to the castle, Pansy whispered, “Come on,” and dragged him towards the clocktower. The two of them dashed through the clocktower courtyard together and into the tower itself. Pansy pulled him into a secret passageway behind a tapestry.</p><p> </p><p>Draco followed her up the back stairs silently. When they reached the top, they found themselves behind the giant clock that looked out over the courtyard.</p><p> </p><p>“We won’t be heard,” Pansy promised him, “Between the cogs clicking round and the clock ticking.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco grinned at her, “You’re a genius,” he said, leaning in to kiss her.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pressed her up against the wall and ran his tongue along her bottom lip. She sighed into the kiss and opened her mouth, granting him access. Draco took one last step so that his body was pressed against hers and he deepened the kiss, exploring every curve of her mouth with his tongue.</p><p> </p><p>As much as Pansy wanted to spend her whole lunch break kissing him, she had brought him here for a reason. She broke the kiss breathily and rested her forehead against his, “I’d love to do a Daphne and Blaise and spend the next hour kissing you, but I do need to talk to you about something important.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco drew back a little, “Hence the clocktower.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded, “The girls and I were talking last week. We have a plan, but we need your help.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re talking to Daphne again?” Draco asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. It’s a shaky friendship, but we’re getting there,” Pansy admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“She isn’t talking to me yet,” Draco frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“You broke her heart, I didn’t,” Pansy said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed, “True. What do you need me to help with?”</p><p> </p><p>“If I take you to a bathroom, would you be able to put wards up on it?” Pansy asked, her eyes searching his, “It needs to be unplottable, and it needs to have a perception charm on it so that nobody will see it even if they are walking straight past it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can do that,” Draco said, his eyes meeting hers, “Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie has been experimenting with amazing magic,” Pansy said, her eyes shining with pride, “She’s discovered a spell which messes with the temporal composition of a room. It effectively jumbles all of time together so that anything said in that room is garbled nonsense. There is a bathroom on the second floor, and with a combination of wards and Sadie’s spell, it can become a safe place for us to talk.”</p><p> </p><p>“Without being heard,” Draco realised.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Pansy said.</p><p> </p><p>“You girls are geniuses,” Draco said, leaning down to capture her lips again.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy kissed him back but mumbled, “Draco, we need to ward the bathroom.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can’t we do it after dinner?” Draco asked, breaking the kiss and moving his lips to her neck.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy breathed in sharply, “I mean we can, but-”</p><p> </p><p>Draco’s hands snaked around her hips, he pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “Because I really want to keep you hostage for the next hour.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy caved and kissed him, this time she slipped her hands into his hair and pulled him closer. He deepened the kiss and adjusted, pressing himself against her tightly once more.</p><p> </p><p>She broke the kiss and let her head rest on his shoulder, “I’ll happily spend an hour making out with you, but I am so <em>not </em>losing my virginity in a clocktower.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco laughed and kissed her lightly, “Deal,” he murmured against her lips.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Daphne already knew that her friends didn’t approve of her relationship with Blaise. She knew that they thought she was using him. She knew that they would go berserk if they knew exactly what she did with him after Herbology on a Wednesday afternoon.</p><p> </p><p>That was why she hadn’t told them about their encounters around the back of the greenhouse. She knew what Sadie would say if she ever caught them, but thankfully neither of the girls had come looking for her yet.</p><p> </p><p>These thoughts ran through Daphne’s head as Blaise hoisted her up, and she wrapped her legs around him. She didn’t really care how wrong it was as she kissed Blaise roughly, biting his lower lip and making him groan under his breath.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll pay for that,” Blaise murmured. He shoved her skirt up, slipped her pants to the side then slipped into her.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne gasped and gripped him tightly, “Thanks for the warning,” she said sarcastically.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t bite me next time,” Blaise said, his eyes flashing playfully as he kissed her again.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne moaned into the kiss and shuffled, pressing herself closer to him.</p><p> </p><p>Blaise groaned and thrust into her hard. She stifled a moan by placing a kiss on his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think Sadie approves.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne groaned and pulled Blaise closer, “Blaise,” she said breathily, “Do you really think I want to talk about Sadie right now?”</p><p> </p><p>The dark-skinned boy smirked and pressed himself deeper into her.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care if she approves,” Daphne added as she drew him in for a kiss and pulled him closer with her legs, “She thinks I’m using you, but you’re fine with this just being sex. Aren’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise smirked and grabbed her arse, pulling her up and kissing her, “When the sex is this good? Course I am.”</p><p> </p><p>“So what’s the problem?” Daphne quipped, kissing him once more.</p><p> </p><p>“No problem,” Blaise replied and, thankfully, he left the issue there.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“You’re getting a reputation,” Sadie informed her friend as they all sat in the common room together one night.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne rolled her eyes, “A reputation?”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey glanced over at her friend, “Sadie’s right. People are talking about you.”</p><p> </p><p>“And?” Daphne asked. She flipped her hair back carelessly.</p><p> </p><p>“And they aren’t saying nice things,” Sadie said, she crossed her arms and looked down at her friend.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re turning into Slytherin’s answer to Ginny Weasley,” Tracey said bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>“They are calling you a slut, Daphne,” Sadie added.</p><p> </p><p>“I got that, thanks Sadie,” Daphne remarked sarcastically, “But I have only slept with two guys. Ginny Weasley is on like her fourth.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think it’s that many,” Sadie said, “And Ginny is a nice girl.”</p><p> </p><p>“A nice girl who likes older guys,” Tracey pointed out, “I mean she slept with Michael then Dean who are both in our year.”</p><p> </p><p>“And she must have shagged Potter by now,” Daphne said with a roll of her eyes, “Merlin knows why she would want to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh come on, you totally had a crush on him last year,” Tracey remarked.</p><p> </p><p>“I really didn’t,” Daphne said offhandedly, “I was dating Draco, and when we broke up I might have flirted with Potter a little because I thought it would annoy Draco the most.”</p><p> </p><p>“Which it did,” Tracey added, remembering Draco’s outburst with an amused smile.</p><p> </p><p>“And it also totally broke Potter’s brain,” Daphne said with an amused grin.</p><p> </p><p>“Any hot girl talking to Potter is enough to break his brain,” Tracey snorted.</p><p> </p><p>“Anyway, that’s beside the point,” Sadie interrupted.</p><p> </p><p>“The point being that I’m Hogwarts’ biggest harlot?” Daphne quipped.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey fixed her friend with a knowing look, “You might have only slept with two guys Daph, but you’re only 17.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded, “I mean, most 17-year-olds are virgins.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are they?” Daphne asked, raising an eyebrow at Tracey.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, I have shagged <em>one </em>guy-”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but it was <em>Theo</em>,” Daphne snorted.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie sighed and inadvertently glanced over at Theo.  </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I know. It was an error of judgement that was aided by a large amount of firewhiskey. We went over this last year after I cried about it, remember?” Tracey asked, glaring at her friend.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah you did cry for a few days,” Sadie said.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t blame you either; you lost your virginity to Theo,” Daphne remarked distastefully.</p><p> </p><p>“But my point is that I have learned from my mistakes and I don’t fuck people that I don’t care about behind greenhouses, Daphne!” Tracey remarked.</p><p> </p><p>“Back to that, are we?” Daphne asked irritably, “Blaise is fine with it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course he is, he’s a guy, and you’re hot,” Tracey remarked, “But that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. I know that Draco broke your heart but-”</p><p> </p><p>“There are no buts,” Daphne said firmly, “I’m not going to get hurt like that again, and that means no dating. Blaise is fun, and do you know what? I need fun because this school is a hell hole right now and we’re at war. We could all die, if you two want to die lonely and sexless, then that’s fine with me, but I will have my fun while I’m young.”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey scoffed and shook her head, “Come on, Sadie, she’s not listening to reason.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne made a face at them as they walked away. She was just about to get up and head to the dorm room when Pansy sat down next to her, “Sorry, I heard that.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed, “What do you care, Pansy? You probably agree with them.”</p><p> </p><p>“I agree with you about not wanting to die lonely and sexless,” Pansy admitted with a smile, “And I don’t think you’re a slut, for the record.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you only agree with me because you’re sleeping with Draco?” Daphne asked bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy shook her head, “No, I haven’t slept with Draco. I’m in the same boat as Sadie on that one.”</p><p> </p><p>“I guess he has grown up since I dated him then,” Daphne said, her eyes lingering on Draco as he talked in whispers with Theo on the other side of the room, “I was stupid when I was with him. I lost my virginity at 15, that’s slutty right?”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy shook her head, “I’ll tell you what I told you at the time, you were almost 16 and you were in love with him. I’m not going to lecture you about Blaise but…just make sure to use protection okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I do,” Daphne said, she smiled at her friend, “But I appreciate your concern Pans, you’re a good friend. I’m sorry that I’ve been kind of cold lately.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy shook her head, “I kissed your ex-boyfriend. I deserved it.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s in the past,” Daphne said, tearing her eyes away from Draco, “There are more important things than my bitterness over our break-up.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded and leant in to whisper in her ear, “We’ll talk about that tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne nodded too, and they fell into a comfortable silence.</p><p> </p><p>That night in the common room Sadie used her temporal charm once more, and Pansy informed the others that Draco had warded the bathroom to make it unplottable. He had also put up a perception charm on the corridor leading into the bathroom so that anyone who looked at it would see a sign saying the hall was flooded and automatically search for another bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>The final step was authorising their magical signatures so that they could see past the perception charm. They agreed to sneak to the bathroom after curfew the following evening to finalise their plan.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The entrance hall was one of the first places to avoid when you were sneaking around after curfew. This was true in ordinary circumstances but was even more pertinent in the current climate. The Carrows made sure that it was permanently guarded to ensure that nobody left the castle through the main front door.</p><p> </p><p>As such, Susan and Hannah, and the Slytherins, had to get to their respective meeting places via secret passages, and it just so happened that they all used the same one. Susan and Hannah snuck into the passageway behind the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff in the upper dungeons, and Susan found herself standing face to face with Theo.</p><p> </p><p>The Slytherin boy blanched and stopped in shock. Susan stared him dead in the eye; she wasn’t quite sure what side he was on after his display in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Behind her, Hannah squeaked in alarm and Susan put up a silent shield charm to cover her friend.</p><p> </p><p>Theo cleared his throat, “What are you two doing out of bed?”</p><p> </p><p>“What is it to you?” Susan asked, her eyes boring into his. She was aware of Draco’s presence behind Theo, but she couldn’t see the other Slytherins.</p><p> </p><p>“We enforce the laws of the school, and you are out after curfew,” Theo said sternly, “You understand the punishment that comes with that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do it then,” Susan said, her eyes boring into his.</p><p> </p><p>Theo made a point of holstering his wand, which confused Susan. He mouthed at her, “Play along.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“Crucio!” Theo yelled.</p><p> </p><p>Susan cottoned on quickly and screamed as if she were being tortured.</p><p> </p><p>Theo tapped her on the shoulder, and she stopped, “Get back to your common room and do not let me catch you out of bed again!”</p><p> </p><p>He then mouthed, “Go.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan wasted no time. She grabbed Hannah’s hand and pulled her up the narrow staircase, and the two Hufflepuff girls ran until they reached the fourth floor. They stopped to catch their breath then crossed the main corridor and slipped into another passageway which they took up to the seventh floor.</p><p> </p><p>By the time they stepped into the Room of Requirement, they were both breathing heavily.</p><p> </p><p>“What happened to you two?” Ginny asked anxiously.</p><p> </p><p>“And I told you not to bring Hannah,” Neville said irritably, “I said just you!”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s my best friend, if we’re doing this then she’s a part of it,” Susan said irritably, “And nothing happened to us Ginny, but we did just get fake tortured by the Slytherins.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Seamus asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Hannah said breathily.</p><p> </p><p>“We came face to face with Theodore Nott in the secret passage,” Susan explained, “And he scolded us for being out after curfew then holstered his wand and said crucio. I played along and screamed like I was being tortured then he let us go.”</p><p> </p><p>“So he is acting,” Neville said, he leant against a desk that had appeared since their last visitation to the Room of Requirement, “I did wonder after something he said to me earlier today.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s one hell of an actor,” Seamus retorted, “He tortured you in Defence Against the Dark Arts.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hardly,” Neville admitted, “It was like pins and needles, his curse was weak. Amycus, on the other hand, …what he did hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>“It confirms your suspicions,” Ginny said pointedly, “The Slytherins are playing along to stay alive. But what happened earlier is proof that we need to get out of the main school.”</p><p> </p><p>“I agree,” Neville said with a nod, “The ghosts will help us. They have agreed to be our eyes and ears, so they will report anything out of the ordinary to us while we hide out in here. We will need to sneak out to get food unless we can get an elf on our side and I expect as time goes on, we will need to steal supplies from the potions store and the hospital wing.”</p><p> </p><p>“So it is going to be exactly like guerrilla warfare,” Ginny said.</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded and looked at the redhead, “It looks like it, yeah. All the same is everyone in?”</p><p> </p><p>They all nodded or said that they were.</p><p> </p><p>“This will be our core group,” Neville continued, “But I expect our numbers to grow as time goes on.”</p><p> </p><p>“What about the others?” Susan asked.</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t all disappear at the same time Suse,” Neville said, “It would look too suspicious.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan narrowed her eyes at him, “So I see that you are looking out for your own, all of the Gryffindors are here.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not it,” Ginny said, she stepped forward, “We can only bring people in here when we are sure we can trust them. If this room is discovered, we don’t just get in trouble like in fifth year. We could be killed.”</p><p> </p><p>Luna nodded, “Ginny is right, Susan. It has nothing to do with house preferences. We just need to protect everyone.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan sighed and said no more on the subject.</p><p> </p><p>“Tomorrow night we disappear,” Neville said with a note of finality, “Gather any important possessions and come here after curfew. Susan and Hannah, do you think that you could bring as much food up as you can?”</p><p> </p><p>Hannah nodded, “Of course we can, Neville.”</p><p> </p><p>“Luna, would you be able to steal some medical supplies and bring them with you tomorrow?” Neville asked, looking to the Ravenclaw girl.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I will.”</p><p> </p><p>“And I’ll steal some potions ingredients after class tomorrow,” Neville said, “That should give us a good start.”</p><p> </p><p>Lavender nodded nervously, “So we’re really doing this?”</p><p> </p><p>Parvati grabbed her hand.</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked around at their little group, “We’re really doing this,” he confirmed.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>When they reached the second-floor corridor, Draco stopped next to a nondescript door. Everyone apart from Draco thought they were standing next to a door that was mostly concealed by buckets full of water, with a sign on it that said, “FLOODED CORRIDOR – STAY OUT.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco held his hand out to Pansy. She gave him her hand, and he placed it on the door. There was a buzz of magic, and her viewpoint changed. All of a sudden, she could see a large wooden door with a golden handle.</p><p> </p><p>Next Draco held out his hand to Theo. The dark-haired boy gave Draco his hand and the blond man placed it on the door. Just like it had for Pansy, this allowed Theo to see the door in its true form too.</p><p> </p><p>In this fashion, he placed the hands of Blaise, Tracey and Sadie on the door. Finally, he turned to Daphne and held out his hand to her. She sighed and grudgingly took it. The moment Daphne placed her hand on the door, it added her magical signature, and she saw it as the others did.</p><p> </p><p>Draco opened the door, and they followed him into the flooded corridor. A shield charm on the door contained the water which was at knee height for most of them. It was slightly higher for Daphne and Sadie, the two shortest members of the group. They waded through the water and followed Draco into the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>Nobody spoke as Sadie used her temporal charm. A golden glow encased the entire room then Sadie used an advanced freezing charm and a shield charm to hold it in place.</p><p> </p><p>“It will need to be refreshed every so often,” Sadie said once she was finished, “Like any sort of ward, it will get dodgy at the fringes over time.”</p><p> </p><p>“But for now, we’re safe,” Daphne said, breathing out a sigh of relief.</p><p> </p><p>“Brilliant plan,” Draco said. He smiled ruefully at them, “But I can’t be a part of it because if <em>he </em>looks into my mind, he’ll see this and it won’t be a safe place anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“So you didn’t ask Snape about Occlumency lessons then?” Theo asked his friend.</p><p> </p><p>“I did, and he agreed to help me but…” Draco sighed, “It’s not easy. We’re making progress but not enough to keep the Dark Lord out. Do not call him anything other than the Dark Lord; I think that’s how they have been catching people.”</p><p> </p><p>“That would make sense,” Pansy agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“But we’re not abandoning you,” Theo continued, “You will get better at keeping him out so I can’t speak for the others, but I’ll take my chances.”</p><p> </p><p>“And I’ll take mine,” Pansy said, taking a step closer to Draco and grabbing his hand.</p><p> </p><p>Blaise nodded, “I’m with you, man.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me too,” Tracey said, “Someone in my family has got to do the right thing. Icarus and Daedalus are determined to get themselves killed.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise put his arm around her, “Yeah, my two oldest brothers have joined his ranks too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” Tracey asked in surprise, “I mean I’m not surprised about Blake but Beau too?”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise nodded, “You guys know Beau; he would follow Blake to the ends of the Earth. Those two have a strange relationship.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, they are only half-brothers,” Pansy shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“Still,” Theo said, raising an eyebrow at Blaise.</p><p> </p><p>Draco’s eyes were on the only two members of the group who hadn’t said anything yet, Daphne and Sadie.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you in?” Draco asked, his eyes locking onto Daphne’s.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed and grabbed Sadie’s hand, “I’m in, but if Astoria gets caught up in this mess, we need to get her out of the common room.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise nodded, “I second that. If anything happens to my little sisters, we make sure that they are somewhere safe.”</p><p> </p><p>“Deal,” Draco said, “If things get bad we get Astoria, Beatrice and Billie out of the common room.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie?” Theo asked, looking at the tentative girl, “Are you in?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie bit her lip, “I just…what if we’re caught, and they punish our families?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a risk,” Theo said honestly, “But I think that it’s one that we have to take.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie sighed but nodded, “I’m in Draco. I won’t abandon you.”</p><p> </p><p>“So we’re all agreed then?” Theo asked. He looked around the group, “We help train Draco up so that the Dark Lord can’t see into his mind, and we use this place to stay alive this year?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Pansy said, putting her hand out.</p><p> </p><p>Draco reached out and grabbed it. Theo followed suite. Next Blaise grabbed their joined hands, then Tracey, then Sadie and finally Daphne.</p><p> </p><p>“To survival,” Draco said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever it takes,” Daphne added darkly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. There's Nowhere Else to Run</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>The following evening the Room of Requirement gang put their plan into action. When Neville, Ginny, Luna, Seamus, Lavender, Parvati, Padma, Susan, and Hannah were all missing from an entire day of classes, questions began to be asked.</p><p> </p><p>The Carrows sent out a search party, assuming that the group of students had somehow managed to escape from the school. They had no way of knowing that they were hiding in plain sight within the walls of the castle itself.</p><p> </p><p>While the search party looked for the missing students, the Carrows used their own methods to ascertain their whereabouts. They brought in all of the friends' known associates and questioned them, mostly under the cruciatus curse. When none of them gave any information away, Alecto suggested to Amycus that it was time to put the Dark Tower back into use.</p><p> </p><p>Draco had a reasonably good idea of where they had gone, but he said nothing and thankfully, the Carrows didn’t ask him. He called a meeting, and the others snuck out after curfew that night to meet up in their bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you’ve made it homely,” Draco remarked sarcastically.</p><p> </p><p>The corridor outside was still flooded, but Daphne had drained the bathroom and put a shield charm on the door to keep it that way. She had also cleaned the place up and transfigured some sofas.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve started to bring supplies in,” Sadie said, “We’re stockpiling things in the supply cupboard, just in case.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not a bad idea,” Theo admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Why did you call the meeting?” Blaise asked as he sat on one of the transfigured sofa’s. He patted the spot next to him, and Daphne sat down. She let him put his arm around her shoulder and ignored Sadie’s disapproving look.</p><p> </p><p>“Because things are getting worse out there by the day,” Draco said, leaning against one of the sinks, “The Carrows have just turned the Dark Tower back into a prison.”</p><p> </p><p>“The Dark Tower?” Sadie asked, “But that hasn’t been used for a long time.”</p><p> </p><p>“Isn’t that where they put Sirius Black in our third year?” Daphne asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, in the top cell,” Draco said with a nod, “It was used as a prison a long time ago, back when punishing students by torturing and imprisoning them was allowed. That top cell was for torture purposes, it’s tiny, and it is open to the elements.”</p><p> </p><p>“And the Carrows are using it to put students in now?” Tracey asked. She shook her head, angrily, “It’s sick.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Theo frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“From what I overheard, they converted the top room into three cells,” Draco continued, “And I don’t think they are using the top cell on the roof yet. But they threw some Hufflepuffs in there. They are hoping that they will tell them where the other rebels went.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think they escaped the school?” Daphne asked.</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head, “No, they are in the school somewhere.”</p><p> </p><p>“What makes you so sure?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s just a hunch, but I don’t see Longbottom as the type to run away from a war, and Weaslette definitely isn’t,” Draco replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Neither is Susan,” Theo said with a frown.</p><p> </p><p>“Susan?” Blaise asked. He raised an eyebrow at his friend, “You’re on first name terms with a Hufflepuff?”</p><p> </p><p>“He lost his virginity to that Hufflepuff,” Sadie said, giving Theo a knowing look, “Around the back of greenhouse three, wasn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh Daphne, you’re familiar with that hook-up spot,” Tracey said, looking at her best friend knowingly.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne rolled her eyes and gave Tracey the middle finger. Blaise smirked and tightened his grip on her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>Theo rolled his eyes too, “Yes, but we were friends too. She’s far more like a Gryffindor than a Hufflepuff, and when you think logically about the people who disappeared, it makes sense.”</p><p> </p><p>“Does it?” Tracey asked.</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “Theo is right. Longbottom, Weasley and Lovegood are the leaders. Then you have the likes of Bones and Finnigan who are the fighters.”</p><p> </p><p>“Abbott is the Healer,” Daphne realised.</p><p> </p><p>“What the hell are Brown and the Patils then?” Blaise asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck knows,” Theo answered, “Collateral damage?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco snorted, “You’re right, Theo. They haven’t run away. They are assembling a guerrilla task force.”</p><p> </p><p>“Which means at some point they are going to have to surface to get their friends out of the tower,” Theo said.</p><p> </p><p>“And what do we do when they do that?” Pansy asked, surveying her friends warily, “Do we help them?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Draco replied instantly, “We can’t openly help the light, it’s too risky.”</p><p> </p><p>“But we don’t actively work against them either,” Theo said firmly, “This isn’t black and white. We’re students and the people fighting for the light mean something to us. They aren’t nameless Aurors; they are our ex-girlfriends, people we’ve kissed in broom cupboards, friends who we share a workbench with in Herbology. This isn’t good versus evil. It’s a fight to stay alive.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco smiled and was about to say that Theo’s speech had been very empowering, but then his arm began to burn, and his stomach sank. He looked over at Theo and saw the same expression on his best friends face.</p><p> </p><p>Both of them pulled their sleeves up and saw the mark, burning red.</p><p> </p><p>“Does that mean…” Pansy trailed off.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re being called,” Draco said hoarsely.</p><p> </p><p>“We need to go,” Theo said firmly, “If we’re late, it looks suspicious.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “Together?”</p><p> </p><p>“Together,” Theo agreed.</p><p> </p><p>They both pressed their index fingers onto the mark and disappeared in a swirl of black smoke.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not good,” Tracey said, her eyes on the spot where the two boys had been.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Daphne agreed, “It isn’t,” she said, her eyes meeting Pansy’s concerned ones.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The meeting was generic. Draco refused to meet his father's eye as he and Theo sat down together at the large table in the dining room of his family home. Voldemort congratulated some Death Eaters on their high-profile kills then his attention turned to Hogwarts and with it, Snape.</p><p> </p><p>“Severus. I hear that friends of Harry Potter have escaped the castle,” Voldemort said, his serpent-like eyes focusing on Snape.</p><p> </p><p>Snape bowed his head, “Yes, my lord. We believe that they are on the run.”</p><p> </p><p>“Have they stolen anything of significance?” Voldemort asked.</p><p> </p><p>“No, my Lord,” Snape replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Then let them run,” Voldemort said cruelly, “Kill them on sight when they show up.”</p><p> </p><p>The other Death Eaters laughed and jeered at this, Bellatrix more so than others.</p><p> </p><p>“Alecto, are the other students conforming?” Voldemort asked.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto smirked, “Yes, my lord. Our team of Junior Enforcers are also doing well.”</p><p> </p><p>“Excellent,” Voldemort said with a wicked smile, “Draco, please come forward.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed and got to his feet. He kept his head down as he walked towards Voldemort.</p><p> </p><p>“I trust that you remember our conversation about you becoming my eyes and ears at Hogwarts, Draco?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, my Lord,” Draco replied.</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort’s smile was sinister, “Excellent. Legilimens!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco grimaced as his mind was invaded. He focused very hard on the things that he wanted Voldemort to see. He thought about cursing the students who disobeyed, he thought about Theo torturing Neville in class. He thought about discussing the filthy mudblood that was Hermione Granger. He thought about a conversation he and Theo had had about putting Harry Potter’s head on a spike outside the school gates. It all seemed to be going well until Pansy flashed through his thoughts, and with that brief slip, Voldemort was able to see the memory of them kissing in the clocktower. Draco fought with every ounce of his being to make sure that he did not hear the conversation that they had had that day, and he won. But in doing so, Voldemort found a blank spot in his memory.</p><p> </p><p>“You have been obliviated, Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you hiding?” Voldemort asked, breaking the connection and turning his red eyes on the blond boy.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing,” Draco replied because, in all honesty, he didn’t know what he was hiding. He couldn’t remember being obliviated, and he could not remember the memory that had been removed.</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort held out his wand, “Crucio!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco could withstand the curse when a Death Eater used it, but when Voldemort used it, it was unbearable. He screamed and fell to the ground, his body convulsing.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you hiding from me, Draco?” Voldemort hissed.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Draco cried, embarrassed as tears filled his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Nott,” Alecto said, she got to her feet and trained her wand on Theo, “What are you hiding from us?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing,” Theo replied honestly, “I didn’t obliviate him.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto opened her mouth, but before she could cast the cruciatus curse, Theo’s father rose to his feet and looked down at his son in disgrace, “I’ll do it Alecto.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked up at his father and had to try very hard to conceal the hatred in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Crucio!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo cried out in pain and tried not to give his father the satisfaction of a scream of pain. He was a wicked man though, and with a few twists of his wand and flicks of his wrist, he had Theo screaming louder than Draco. His body shook violently as he tried to suck in a breath.</p><p> </p><p>When his father ended the curse, he kicked Theo as hard as he could and spat on him, “You are a disgrace to the family name,” he hissed.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto grabbed Theo’s chin and forced him to look into her eyes, “Who obliviated him?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Theo ground out through the pain.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop,” Voldemort said. He raised a hand and Alecto let go of Theo.</p><p> </p><p>“The rebels must have erased his memory,” Voldemort said. He eyed Draco cautiously, “Alecto, Amycus: keep a close eye on these two at Hogwarts. Perhaps we ought to show young Draco what happens to those he loves when he does not comply.”</p><p> </p><p>Fear flashed through Draco’s eyes, and that made Voldemort smirk, “Have a little fun with his young girlfriend, Pansy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, my Lord,” Alecto said. She grinned evilly at Draco and Theo. Then she left the room with her brother.</p><p> </p><p>Draco and Theo were told to be seated once more. Then they were forced to sit through the rest of the meeting. Most of the information was insignificant, and the meeting dragged on for another hour. Draco tried his best to hide his worry for Pansy. With every minute that ticked by, they could be torturing her.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, Voldemort turned to the two Junior Death Eaters and said, “You two may leave. Your presence is no longer required.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, my Lord,” Draco said as he got to his feet, “Sorry my Lord.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo bowed his head as they walked out of the dining room. When the two boys got into the hall, they let out breaths and limped silently out of the Manor, both of them were in far more pain than they would allow to show in front of Voldemort and the Death Eaters.</p><p> </p><p>“Can you apparate?” Draco asked, gripping his side, his breath hitching.</p><p> </p><p>“Just about I think,” Theo gasped, “You?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, and they both used the magic of the dark mark to apparate into the corridor outside of the Slytherin common room. They limped in and knew that it was too late from the look on their friends' faces.</p><p> </p><p>“Where is Pansy?” Draco asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“The Carrows came in a while ago,” Daphne replied, “They dragged her out, and we heard…”</p><p> </p><p>“She was screaming,” Sadie said quietly, it was clear that she had been crying.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to kill them,” Draco said, setting his teeth together.</p><p> </p><p>“You need to be healed first,” Tracey said firmly, “You won’t survive another bout of torture otherwise.”</p><p> </p><p>“Just set my ribs then,” Draco said, “Quickly!”</p><p> </p><p>“But without a potion, it will hurt-”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care!” Draco snapped, “Just do it!”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shrugged, “Episkey!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco recoiled in pain and grabbed the edge of one of the sofas.</p><p> </p><p>“I did warn you,” Tracey muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Draco pulled himself up and took a breath, “I think I have a broken…” he trailed off and pointed his wand at his ankle, “Episkey!”</p><p> </p><p>Then he cried out in pain, “Yeah, it was broken alright. Tracey, fix Theo up. I need to go.”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, you’re going to get yourself killed!” Blaise called after him, but Draco ignored them and began to search the dungeons for the Carrows and Pansy.</p><p> </p><p>He followed the screams and found them in the potions classroom.</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy!”</p><p> </p><p>She lay in a heap on the floor. She was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, her shirt was soaked with blood, and she was shaking uncontrollably.</p><p> </p><p>“What did you do to her?” Draco hissed, looking up at Amycus Carrow.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing that I haven’t already done to you,” Amycus said coolly, “I do not like it when pupils talk back to me Draco. You ought to know how that ends.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do whatever the hell you want to me, but do not dare touch her,” Draco hissed in a low, dangerous tone.</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever I want?” Amycus asked with a raised eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>Draco dropped his wand and stepped forward.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus grinned, “Crucio!”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” Pansy groaned. She reached out but couldn’t quite reach her wand.</p><p> </p><p>“Just…go…” Draco said, gritting his teeth as the spell forced him to his knees and set his nerves on fire.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t leave you here,” Pansy objected weakly.</p><p> </p><p>“Go, Pansy,” Draco gasped, “I’ll be…fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco-”</p><p> </p><p>“Go!” Draco roared.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy scrambled to her feet and limped to the door. She looked back at him in concern but left the classroom.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus laughed uncontrollably, “True love. It’s cute.”</p><p> </p><p>“I mean it Amycus,” Draco said, pushing himself to his feet through the curse, “Do not touch her again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you think she got away?” Amycus asked. He laughed and threw Draco onto the ground with a casual flick of his wrist, “That’s sweet. It would be a nice story if she got away, wouldn’t it? She runs away to safety, and Draco’s love survives the war. How does the story end? Do you get married and have beautiful babies together?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco glared up at the man.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus stood over him and grinned. He thrust his hand towards Draco and said an unknown incantation. Draco cried out in pain as intense pain throbbed through his leg.</p><p> </p><p>“Ouch, that sounded sore,” Amycus said calmly, “But I suppose getting your knee cap reversed would feel rather painful. Do you know what it feels like to have your entrails ripped out while you are still alive? I’ve meant to experiment with that one.”</p><p> </p><p>“What have you done with Pansy?” Draco gasped.</p><p> </p><p>“Her? Oh, Alecto was waiting for her in the corridor,” Amycus smirked, “She took her to the Dark Tower. We have one cell free for her, right at the top of the tower. I wonder how long she will last against the elements. It’s nearly October…Alecto doesn’t think she will make it through the night, but I think she might last two.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco didn’t think he could hate anyone more than he hated his father, but these two Death Eaters were fast becoming his most hated enemies.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus smiled and pressed his heel into Draco’s chest. Draco gasped for air as the motion made it almost impossible for him to get air into his lungs.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t even think about trying to get her out,” Amycus said with a note of finality, “The tower is rigged with traps. You would only get yourself killed trying. Then you could be together for eternity. How’s that for a love story?”</p><p> </p><p>He shoved his foot into Draco’s chest, and Draco began to choke.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus laughed and removed his foot. Without another word, he left the classroom. Draco managed to turn his head to the side as he threw up a mixture of bile and blood. He coughed and gagged until he could reach his wand.</p><p> </p><p>His hand shook as he aimed his wand at his knee, “Reverso.”</p><p> </p><p>He yelled as the spell reversed his knee cap to restore it to normalcy. He tried to push himself to his feet but cried out in pain the moment he put any weight on that leg.</p><p> </p><p>All the same, Draco tried, and that was when the world swam in front of his eyes. The last thing he heard as the world around him turned black was Theo’s voice calling, “Draco!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When Draco opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the golden glimmer of the bathroom roof. He blinked the blurriness out of his eyes and sat up.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank Salazar,” Theo breathed. He reached out and gripped his friend’s shoulder, “We nearly lost you there.”</p><p> </p><p>“He punctured one of your lungs,” Tracey said from where she knelt on Draco’s other side.</p><p> </p><p>“Trace patched you up,” Blaise explained.</p><p> </p><p>Draco pushed himself against one of the sinks and breathed in slowly, “We need to save Pansy.”</p><p> </p><p>“You were on the verge of death a few minutes ago,” Sadie said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re in no state to go on a rescue mission,” Theo agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“I have to,” Draco said, passion burning in his eyes, “It’s <em>Pansy</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Daphne said. She stepped forward and looked him dead in the eye.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked at her, pleadingly, “I need your help.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne kept that stony expression on her face.</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne,” Draco sighed, “I know that I hurt you. Salazar knows, I fucked up.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne crossed her arms and stared down at him.</p><p> </p><p>“But Pansy is in the Dark Tower, and I can’t get her out alone,” Draco finished.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Daphne didn’t say anything.</p><p> </p><p>“I know I hurt you Daphne but…I love Pansy,” Draco admitted, “And you were my best friend once. I want to get that back if I can.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed, “Fine.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco breathed a sigh of relief. He pushed himself to his feet and hugged her, “Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not doing it for you,” Daphne said as she shoved him off, “I’m doing it for Pansy.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s good enough for me,” Draco said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>“If we’re doing this, I’m in charge,” Theo said firmly, “Because you nearly died earlier tonight and you definitely can’t remain objective, Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “What’s the plan then, boss?”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Listen up gang!”</p><p> </p><p>Everyone in the Room of Requirement fell silent. They all looked up at Neville who was sitting on a desk.</p><p> </p><p>“We got word from Nick this morning, the Carrows have imprisoned some of our friends in the Dark Tower,” Neville said calmly. With a wave of his wand, a schematic of the Dark Tower appeared on the board behind him, “As you can see, the entrance to the tower is on the sixth floor. It has not been used for centuries, but it seems to have one cell at the top of the staircase. There is another cell on the roof, but we doubt that they will be using it because anyone up there would die of exposure very quickly.”</p><p> </p><p>“The Carrows are insane, don’t rule anything out,” Ginny warned him.</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Our goal is to get in and get our guys out. They have Ernie, Anthony and Michael. We know that the tower is rigged with traps. The friar scouted it out for us earlier. There is a caterwauling charm at the bottom of the staircase which will alert the Carrows the moment someone steps over it. There is also a security troll on the sixth-floor corridor. Once we get into the tower itself, there is very little in the way of security.”</p><p> </p><p>“How do we get through the caterwauling charm?” Parvati asked.</p><p> </p><p>“It will see through most disguises,” Padma answered, “Disillusionment charms certainly won’t work.”</p><p> </p><p>“Even an invisibility cloak wouldn’t work,” Neville admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t sneak past it,” Luna spoke up, “So we need to disable it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you know how to do that?” Neville asked, looking at his friend in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I do,” Luna said with a smile, “Daddy uses one on the house to keep the Nargles away.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course he does,” Ginny said. She grinned at Neville, “I love her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me too,” Neville admitted. He turned back to the Ravenclaw girl and said, “You’re on the task force, Luna. Ginny, you are too because you’re one of our best duellers.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded, “We want to take as little people as possible into the tower itself to avoid detection, but we will need someone to stand guard in the corridor outside.”</p><p> </p><p>“I suggest two people,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked around the room, “Susan and Seamus?”</p><p> </p><p>“I would agree with that,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>“So we get to the corridor, take out the security troll. Luna disables the caterwauling charm and Seamus and I stand guard while you guys save the day?” Susan summarised.</p><p> </p><p>“Yep, any questions?”</p><p> </p><p>Seamus raised his hand, “How do we take out the troll?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville grinned and threw Seamus an explosive device, “That’s where you come in Seamus.”</p><p> </p><p>At this, Seamus grinned.</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>It was relatively easy for the Room of Requirement gang to get to the sixth-floor corridor where the security troll was patrolling. They only needed to use one secret passageway from an old bathroom across the hall from the Room of Requirement, and they came out in a disused classroom directly opposite the stairs to the Dark Tower.</p><p>
  
</p><p>It wasn’t quite as easy for the Slytherins. They had much further to go, having to get to the sixth floor from their bathroom hideout on the second floor. They were confident of one thing; they could not use the grand staircase under any circumstances. It had a caterwauling charm set up on it after curfew, so using it would be suicide. Instead, they had to wind their way up the floors of the castle using secret passageways. They weaved their way up to the once-forbidden third-floor corridor. Then they had to sneak past Filch to slip into a secret passageway that brought them out on the fifth floor. After a very close call with Peeves, they entered the final passageway which brought them out in an old bathroom on the sixth floor. It had been used by Fred and George when they had set up an illegal shop one year and abandoned Weasley products were still scattered across the floor.</p><p> </p><p>They stood by the door and listened to the troll patrolling up and down the corridor. Theo turned to those who had come with them. Sadie and Tracey had been told to stay in their hideout so that they could heal Pansy when they returned.</p><p> </p><p>“Blaise, once we get out there I’m going to take down the troll,” Theo whispered, “Then when we get to the entrance of the tower, Blaise and Daphne, you are going to stand guard.”</p><p> </p><p>They both nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco and I will go into the tower, get Pansy and get out,” Theo finished, “Any questions?”</p><p> </p><p>“How are you planning on taking down the troll?” Draco asked, watching his friend warily.</p><p> </p><p>Theo pulled a Weasley device out of his pocket and smirked, “I’ve got it under control.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne snorted in amusement.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s go,” Theo said. He opened the door and headed out, the others followed closely behind him.</p><p> </p><p>When they got into the corridor, the troll had its back to them. Theo clenched his fist around the device and was about to throw it when a door at the other end of the corridor opened. Seamus stepped out, flanked by Neville, Ginny, Luna and Susan.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing here?” Theo hissed. Security trolls were blind, but the moment it heard him, it turned around.</p><p> </p><p>“Taking out the troll!” Seamus replied, “What are you doing here?”</p><p> </p><p>The troll got confused and turned around again.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I’m taking out the troll!” Theo exclaimed.</p><p> </p><p>The two of them raised their hands; both of them were holding the same device.</p><p> </p><p>In unison, they both threw the devices at the troll. The devices landed at his feet and released a high-pitched sound that wasn’t audible to them but which made the troll grab his head and howl in pain.</p><p> </p><p>Four stunners were thrown at the troll, some from the Slytherins and some from the Room of Requirement gang. It fell to the ground with a loud thump, and the Slytherins stepped over it to reach the others.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing up here?” Neville asked them in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“Getting Pansy out of the tower,” Draco replied, “What are you doing here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Getting our friends out of the tower,” Neville answered.</p><p> </p><p>A buzzing noise sounded, and an invisible barrier on the stairs fizzled out.</p><p> </p><p>“Caterwauling charm disabled,” Luna said dreamily.</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked at the Slytherins cautiously, “We’ll get our friends out, and you get your friend out then we’ll go our separate ways. Deal?”</p><p> </p><p>“Deal,” Draco answered.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, and don’t say <em>his </em>name,” Theo added, “There’s a taboo on it. It will bring the Death Eaters to your location, even if that location is unplottable.”</p><p> </p><p>“Got it,” Neville said, “Come on, we need to move fast. The Carrows must have caught some of this conversation with their listening charms.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“Guard the tower,” Neville and Theo said at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>The two boys caught each other’s eye, “That was weird,” they said in unison.</p><p> </p><p>Neville frowned, and Theo cast his eyes over him suspiciously.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s go,” Neville said, turning to Ginny and Luna. The two girls nodded, and they followed Neville up the narrow staircase.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” Theo said to Draco.</p><p> </p><p>Without another word, the two of them dashed up the stairs after the others.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne raised an eyebrow at Susan, “Not the way I imagined catching up with an old friend.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan smiled, “How are you doing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’m alive,” Daphne shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“You two are friends?” Blaise asked curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve known each other since we were kids,” Daphne said with a shrug, “But we’re not on the same side anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not on the dark side,” Susan said honestly, her eyes meeting Daphne’s, “You’re not on the light side either though.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m on my own side,” Daphne said calmly.</p><p> </p><p>“And that’s the problem,” Susan said simply.</p><p> </p><p>Seamus watched the conversation warily. He had always been more suspicious of Slytherins than most. The four of them fell silent as they cast their eyes along the corridor, hoping that the Carrows wouldn’t show up until they had managed to get their friends out.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>At the top of the staircase, they went their separate ways. Neville, Ginny and Luna began to use unlocking charms on the cells to get their friends out while Draco and Theo continued up the last few stairs to the roof.</p><p> </p><p>The door to the roof wouldn’t open with a simple unlocking charm, so Draco blasted it off its hinges instead.</p><p> </p><p>“This is why I didn’t let you be in charge,” Theo muttered as they skated across the icy roof towards the iron-cast door into the tiny cell.</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy,” Draco breathed when he saw her lying on the wet ground. She was unconscious, her shirt was soaked with blood, and her body was wracked with shivers.</p><p> </p><p>“Put a shield charm over her,” Theo instructed.</p><p> </p><p>“Protego!”</p><p> </p><p>“Bombarda!”</p><p> </p><p>The cell door was blasted off. Draco dashed in and picked Pansy up, “Pansy! Pansy! Wake up!”</p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” Theo said, skating over the ice towards the staircase, “We need to go.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco followed him, and they emerged onto the staircase behind Neville and his gang. Ernie didn’t look too worse for the wear, but Anthony Goldstein and Michael Corner were a little slower as they limped down the staircase.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco?” Pansy said weakly.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked down at her, “Sorry it took so long to get you out,” he said while flashes of light bounced around the walls behind him, “I needed to get the cavalry on board.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy passed out again after that and Theo cursed loudly.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked up and realised that the flashes of light were from a searching spell that was determining how many people were in the tower.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck,” Draco muttered, “That means they are at the bottom of the staircase, doesn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>“From the sounds of duelling, I’m inclined to say yes!” Neville called from the front of the group, “We need to fight together if we want to get away from them!”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s right,” Theo muttered.</p><p> </p><p>“If we fight with him, we can’t pretend anymore,” Draco whispered, “They will know that we are traitors.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Theo said. His eyes met Draco’s, “So are we going to do the right thing?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed, “If we must.”</p><p> </p><p>The moment they emerged onto the sixth-floor corridor, curses began to fly through the air, left, right and centre.</p><p> </p><p>It was several of them against the Carrows, but they couldn’t duel the way that those two could. They were still school kids at the end of the day, as much as they wanted to believe that they were more.</p><p> </p><p>In the end, the Slytherins were cowards. When Alecto cornered Neville and began to torture him, they slipped away unseen and did not stop running until they reached their bathroom lair.</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy!” Tracey exclaimed when she saw her friend's blood-soaked shirt.</p><p> </p><p>Draco lay Pansy down on a makeshift bed in the middle of the floor, and Tracey ripped her shirt open. The blood was coming from several cuts that were now oozing a foul-smelling yellow liquid. Tracey began to shout out orders which they all followed dutifully.</p><p> </p><p>She was the most adept Healer so by the time she was finished, the cuts on Pansy’s body were virtually gone, and her temperature had gone down. They all cleaned themselves up and took some time to catch their breath.</p><p> </p><p>Draco knelt by Pansy’s side and rested his head on her chest so that he could listen to her heartbeat.</p><p> </p><p>“He loves her,” Daphne whispered, ashamed of the tears that stung her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey took her best friend’s hand, “Yeah, he does.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne swallowed and tore her eyes away, “So there is no use in being bitter. He loves her, and he never looked at me like that so…that’s all there is to it.”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s a bigger picture honey,” Tracey said, drawing her friend in for a hug. She kissed Daphne on the cheek, “And you’ll find someone who is a better fit for you one day.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne very much doubted that but she didn’t voice that opinion. Instead, she pulled away from Tracey and walked over to Pansy.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked up when she knelt next to the dark-haired girl. Daphne smiled weakly at him and took Pansy’s hand, settling down next to her friend.</p><p> </p><p>Draco smiled back and turned his gaze to the girl that they had just rescued, the girl who he had told Daphne that he loved when he hadn’t even mustered up the courage to say those words to her yet.</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled down at Pansy as she opened her eyes and blinked a few times.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry for being such a bitch Pansy,” Daphne said softly, “There’s a war going on in this school, and if we want to survive it, we all need to be in it together.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy smiled at her, “Thanks, for getting me out.”</p><p> </p><p>“We all did,” Tracey said, stepping into view. Sadie smiled from her friend's side.</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded, “We weren’t going to leave you up there Pans.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco leant down and kissed her lightly, “You’re going to be okay baby, just get some sleep.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded. She shut her eyes again and let out a shallow breath, “I love you, Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco tightened his grip on her hand and rested his forehead against hers, “I love you too.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne tore her eyes away from them and got to her feet, “We can’t go back to the common room.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo shook his head, “We have targets on our backs now.”</p><p> </p><p>“When they realise that we are missing, they are going to target our family,” Daphne said, she looked to Blaise, “We need to get the girls.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise nodded, “Now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Now,” Daphne agreed, “The rest of you should stay here with Pansy. Blaise and I will get the girls out of the common room and bring them here. I expect the Carrows are still busy with Longbottom and his gang, so now is the best time to act.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “Be careful,” he said. He turned to Blaise and added, “And look after her.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise held his hand out to Daphne, “I will.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne grabbed the other mans hand and smiled, “See you soon,” she said as they left the bathroom together.</p><p> </p><p>Theo sighed and knelt on Pansy’s other side, “What happens to us now?”</p><p> </p><p>“We still have to go if he calls us to a meeting,” Draco said darkly, “We can’t avoid it or…”</p><p> </p><p>“He’ll kill us the minute we surface?” Theo asked, “Well, I think I’ll take that chance. If the mark burns, I’ll ignore it. Will you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Draco looked down at Pansy and hesitated, “I don’t know,” he finished.</p><p> </p><p>“Then I suggest you work out where your loyalties lie,” Theo said, a coldness to his voice that made Draco shiver.</p><p> </p><p>Draco bowed his head but said nothing else as he watched Pansy’s chest rise and fall with her shallow breaths.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. You're Gonna Bring Yourself Down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>By the time Neville got his band of merry men and women back to the Room of Requirement, there were a few injuries that needed tending to. In the end, they had escaped the Carrows by throwing a Peruvian darkness powder bomb into the middle of the corridor and making a dash for a secret passage. They had also had to cave that passageway in to escape so they would have to rethink their route the next time they needed to get to the Dark Tower.</p><p> </p><p>“Neville!” Hannah gasped when she saw a large gash in his arm.</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head, “I’m fine, Gin can patch this up. Look over Ant and Michael, they both had the cruciatus curse used on them.”</p><p> </p><p>Hannah nodded and ran across the room to the two Ravenclaw boys. Neville sank down onto one of the moth-eaten sofas that had appeared in the room.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny cast a healing charm on herself, then gave herself a shake. She met his eye, “Nev-”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head, “Luna first, her head is bleeding.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked sceptical, but she patched Luna up first then she sat down next to Neville and pried his blood-soaked cardigan away from the wound.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re becoming quite the general,” Ginny said.</p><p> </p><p>Neville grimaced as she cleaned out the wound, “Well that can’t happen again. If we hadn’t escaped, what would have happened?”</p><p> </p><p>“We’d all be in the tower,” Ginny answered as she dabbed his wound.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Neville said, “The three of us somehow, we’ve become the leaders of this thing which means that we can’t all go out together like that again. Someone needs to stay here.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded, “You’re in charge, but I agree with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not in charge,” Neville said with a shake of his head, “Not by choice anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe not,” Ginny said as she began to stitch his arm together with magic, “But you’re still good at it.”</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t make me in charge,” Neville said. He leant back against the sofa and gritted his teeth, “Can’t you numb it?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny shook her head, “If I numb it and I hit a nerve, I won’t know. If I hit a nerve when it isn’t numb you’ll let me know about it, trust me.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville breathed out shakily, “I hope you don’t hit a nerve then.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have a steady hand,” Ginny promised.</p><p> </p><p>“You should be a Healer.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s the plan, assuming I survive the war,” Ginny said. She had finished sowing up the wound so she cast a numbing charm on Neville’s arm and he sighed with relief.</p><p> </p><p>She put her wand down and smiled at him, “I know I had the idea to bring everyone here Neville, but now that we’re here, you’re in charge. People respect you, and they like you, they will follow you.”</p><p> </p><p>“People feel that way about you too,” Neville assured her.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s different though,” Ginny said with a shrug, “I’m more abrasive, and I know that. I rub people up the wrong way but you…you don’t see the world in shades of grey. You see the bad and all you want to do is fix it. You’re just like Harry.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head and looked down, “No, I’m not as brave as Harry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Harry would say that he’s not brave,” Ginny said. She smiled sadly, “He would just say that he’s good at surviving, and you are getting pretty good at that too.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shrugged, “We’re doing what we have to do to stay alive. Just like the Slytherins are. Although it was odd, working with them today.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded her agreement, “It’s good to know that they can be our allies when we need them though. The last thing we needed was to have more enemies in this place.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville laughed weakly, “Yeah but it would be nice if they didn’t run away next time. I mean I don’t know why I expected anything more from Malfoy, to be honest, but I thought Nott had more balls than that.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny didn’t laugh, “In all fairness, did you see the state of Pansy? If they can do that to one of their own, can you imagine what they will do to one of us if they catch us?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t really want to imagine it,” Neville admitted, “But it just proves that I’m right. From now on, one of us stays here while the others are out. Are we agreed?”</p><p> </p><p>“We are agreed,” Ginny promised.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The first thing the girls had done when they realised that the bathroom was about to become their permanent residence, was make it more homely. It wasn’t the biggest bathroom in the world; it was slightly smaller than Myrtle's bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>As such, they had converted the circular area surrounding the sinks into their living space. Daphne had sectioned off three zones, one for the boys, another for the girls and a third for the three younger girls that they had rescued from the Slytherin common room. Daphne’s younger sister Astoria was in sixth year and could not look more different to her sister if she tried. She had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. Blaise’s youngest sister Billie had just started at Hogwarts, so she was the baby of the group. Beatrice was older; she was in her fourth year. To give Astoria something to do and to keep her out of trouble, Daphne tasked her with keeping the younger girls busy and safe.</p><p> </p><p>The living quarters were sparse but bearable. Tracey had transfigured bits of junk from the bathroom and the broom cupboard across the hall into bunk beds. They had hung makeshift curtains up and placed silencing charms on the three areas to give each other some privacy.</p><p> </p><p>On the other side of the circular area, there were a few sofas and a desk. Theo wanted a blackboard for elaborate escape plans and so that he could feel like an Auror commanding his bullpen. Draco had rolled his eyes and said that they weren’t stealing a blackboard so that he could look cool.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie had separated the row of toilet and showers cubicles with a wall. She had then stuck a sign up on each side, so it was clear that one side was for the boys and another was for the girls.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy felt terrible because she hadn’t helped much, but she had been recovering from severe blood loss and mild hypothermia, so they had forced her to remain in her bed while they renovated their new living quarters. It had been over a week since their daring rescue, and Pansy was finally beginning to look like herself again. She had colour back in her cheeks, and she wasn’t exhausted after a trip to the toilet anymore.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think we’re stupid?” She asked Draco as she lay close to him on his bunk bed one night.</p><p> </p><p>Draco rolled onto his side to look at her, “Why would I think we’re stupid?”</p><p> </p><p>“For trying to help the light,” Pansy whispered, “Should we have just kept our heads down to stay alive?”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s the point of staying alive if you have to live with a guilty conscience?” Draco asked, his eyes searching hers.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy smiled and ran her hand down his arm. She paused when she reached the dark mark and Draco flinched.</p><p> </p><p>“What does he want of you now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not much yet,” Draco replied. He sighed and looked up at the bottom of Theo’s bunk, “But I live in fear that he will call me in for a favour.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy closed the small gap between them as they lay together in the tiny bed, “I won’t let that happen.”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have power over the Dark Lord, Pans,” Draco said gently. His hand rested on her cheek, his lips inches away from hers, “Just over me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think you underestimate how much I love you, Draco Malfoy,” Pansy returned softly, brushing her lips against his.</p><p> </p><p>Draco smiled against her, “I love you Pans, so much.”</p><p> </p><p>He kissed her then, but differently from usual. When he had kissed her before the Dark Tower, it was with trepidation. He always held back a little, but when Draco kissed her that time, he put everything he had into the kiss. He poured his heart and soul out for her to see, he kissed her like it was the last time his lips would ever touch hers. His hands roamed down her body, he slipped them under her top and traced the thin scars on her chest. Her breath caught in her throat as she broke the kiss and met his eye.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t need to ask her if it was okay, or if this was what she wanted. He could see it in her eyes, the lust, the love, the need for him to hold her. Draco rolled over and hovered above her for a moment, his eyes on hers then he leant down and captured her lips once more.</p><p> </p><p>She sucked in a breath, and Draco smiled against her lips. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the makeshift curtains around his bottom bunk to give them some privacy. Then he whispered, “Silencio.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh great,” Theo muttered from the bunk above, “You’re going to shag right underneath me? Disgusting!”</p><p> </p><p>At this, Pansy laughed and pulled Draco down to her for a final time.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“We need to steal the sword of Gryffindor at some point,” Ginny said to Neville in a whisper late one night.</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked up from the knife that he was sharpening, “Gin, you know that chat we had about you saying things that make my head feel like it’s going to explode?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny smiled. They were on guard duty together while the others slept. Over the last few weeks, their number had grown. It wasn’t just members of the DA that they took in; it was their siblings or cousins. It was their friends, people that they cared about too much to leave behind when they disappeared into thin air.</p><p> </p><p>As their number grew, the Room of Requirement became more like a youth hostel. It had started with bunk beds then Seamus had made himself a hammock because he had always wanted to sleep in one and it had launched a trend. It was a good thing because it freed up floor-space and the room didn’t get any bigger, so that was vital. In one corner of the room, a makeshift hospital wing had been set up. They seldom had the right supplies, which meant that Ginny and Hannah had to compromise and perform healing spells without the right pain potions or properly sterile equipment. Still, so far, nobody had died or had to have any limbs amputated, so they were treating that as a win. They had managed to sneak people in from the dungeons or their common rooms, but as the month wore on, they hadn’t needed to return to the Dark Tower.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Ginny chuckled, “I’ll explain. In the summer Rufus Scrimgeour came to my house with Dumbledore’s will. Dumbledore left stuff to Harry, Ron and Hermione. I guess there’s a reason behind all of it but nothing that makes sense right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>“He left Hermione an old copy of “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” and he left Ron his deluminator.” Ginny continued, “He left Harry the snitch he caught in his first ever Quidditch match and the sword of Gryffindor. But Scrimgeour said he couldn’t have the sword because it was the property of Hogwarts and therefore not Dumbledore’s to give away.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why would he leave him the sword of Gryffindor in his will?” Neville frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know, but I feel like it’s important,” Ginny admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“So let’s say that we do manage to steal it,” Neville said, “Theoretically of course because it involves breaking into Snape’s office which is just…suicide.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded her agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“How do we get it to Harry once we have it?” Neville questioned.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Ginny admitted, “I don’t think we need to do it right now, but we do need to think about the possibility. The other thing we need to do is get that old radio working.”</p><p> </p><p>“I agree with that,” Neville said with a nod, “If we can tune into any pirate radio stations we might stumble across gold.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fred and George were planning something called Potterwatch when they went on the run with Lee,” Ginny said, looking at the sleeping students in the Room of Requirement absentmindedly, “I don’t know exactly what they had planned, but they wanted to give people hope.”</p><p> </p><p>“And we could definitely use some of that right now,” Neville said softly.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Draco!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco jumped up the moment Theo spun into their bathroom lair, “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie,” Theo said, his eyes were wide, and he was gasping for breath, “The Carrows caught her while she was sneaking out to the kitchen. I went to see what was taking so long and I heard them talking.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where is she?” Tracey asked anxiously.</p><p> </p><p>“The tower,” Daphne replied darkly.</p><p> </p><p>Theo could only nod.</p><p> </p><p>“I heard Amycus,” Theo said, he paused to catch his breath, “He said that maybe it would light a fire under Septimus’s arse if his daughter was in danger.”</p><p> </p><p>“Bastards!” Daphne hissed.</p><p> </p><p>Draco couldn’t help but agree with her.</p><p> </p><p>“They want Septimus to join their ranks,” Daphne said, she shook her head, “I mean <em>of course </em>they do. He’s an inventor. You know what the Dark Lord will be thinking, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“That he can make weapons,” Draco answered.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly!” Daphne exclaimed irritably, “So what do they do? They can’t touch Sorenson because he’s an Auror, a pureblooded Auror. So he’s already on their side as far as they are concerned, so they go for Sadie instead.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think Septimus will turn?” Blaise asked curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t really care,” Daphne admitted, “I just don’t want Sadie to get caught up in their sick games.”</p><p> </p><p>“None of us do,” Theo added.</p><p> </p><p>“So how are we going to get her out?” Draco asked. He clicked his fingers, and a piece of chalk began to draw on the blackboard behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m happy I convinced you to steal that for me,” Theo said, watching the chalk map out the tower and all the secret passageways in the vicinity of it.</p><p> </p><p>“It was one of your smarter ideas,” Blaise admitted grudgingly.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne nodded. She cocked her head at the drawing, “They’ve upped their security since last time.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco crossed his arms and turned to look at the board, “They learned from their mistakes. The caterwauling charm won’t be so easily disabled, and there is more security on the sixth-floor corridor. Not to mention the difficult locking charms on the cell doors.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t forget the trap doors on the stairs that will plunge us into the depths of the tower's dungeon,” Blaise spoke up.</p><p> </p><p>“How many floors is that?” Tracey queried.</p><p> </p><p>“About six, so it’s not survivable,” Draco answered.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s simple,” Theo said, drawing all attention to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Is it?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded, “The caterwauling charm is on the entrance to the tower. If someone lands on the roof, then it won’t set the charm off. The trap doors are easily avoidable if there is only one person on the staircase.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Draco cut in before Theo could finish, “That is a suicide mission.”</p><p> </p><p>“What is?” Pansy asked. She couldn’t read Theo’s mind like Draco could.</p><p> </p><p>Draco didn’t answer; he just locked eyes with Theo, “You can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have to,” Theo said, his gaze never wavering from Draco’s, “And you know it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Theo,” Draco looked at him for a long moment. He then sighed and relented, “Go.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded and ran out of the room as quickly as he had run into it.</p><p> </p><p>“What was that about?” Tracey asked irritably.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, please do fill in the people who can’t read Theo’s mind by staring at him soulfully,” Blaise remarked sarcastically.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked over at the rest of his friends, “He’s going in alone.”</p><p> </p><p>“But he’ll never get them both out!” Pansy exclaimed.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Draco said quietly, “He’s going to go in via the roof which will set off the caterwauling charm. But it will give him enough time to get Sadie onto the staircase. Then he’s going to trigger one of the trapdoors and lower her into the dungeon. From there she will be able to get out into the dungeons near the Slytherin common room.”</p><p> </p><p>“But he won’t have time to get out,” Blaise realised.</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head, “The Carrows will catch him.”</p><p> </p><p>“And if he’s lucky they will imprison him,” Daphne said quietly, “If he’s unlucky…”</p><p> </p><p>“They’ll kill him,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy stepped forward and hugged Draco. He shut his eyes and held her tightly.</p><p> </p><p>“You got all that from looking into his eyes for a few seconds?” Tracey asked.</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head and pressed a kiss against the top of Pansy’s head, “No, he opened his mind up so that I could read his thoughts. We’ve been practising with Legilimency and Occlumency. If both parties are willing to open their minds, you can communicate without the incantation.”</p><p> </p><p>“So he’s planning on killing himself to get her out?” Tracey asked angrily, “And we’re all going to sit back and let him be all noble and do that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, what do you suggest we do?” Draco asked irritably.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I don’t know! How about have his back?” Tracey remarked sarcastically.</p><p> </p><p>“How, Tracey?” Draco asked bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>“We take out the security on the sixth-floor corridor and fight the Carrows when they arrive,” Tracey said simply, “That will buy Theo enough time to get out.”</p><p> </p><p>“It also puts all of us at risk,” Draco pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“Who cares?” Tracey asked irritably, “It’s Theo! We can’t just leave him to-”</p><p> </p><p>She cut herself off when Draco gripped his arm and cried out in pain.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong?” Pansy asked.</p><p> </p><p>Draco lifted his sleeve and looked down at his dark mark. It burned hotter than it ever had before, and he knew that he had to ignore it.</p><p> </p><p>“They’re calling me,” Draco hissed.</p><p> </p><p>“What happens if you don’t go?” Daphne asked, her eyes lingering on the snake.</p><p> </p><p>“It will burn like this for hours,” Draco answered, “But it gives us the perfect opportunity to get Sadie out. If he is calling us, then the Carrows and Snape will be leaving the castle.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then we need to go and help Theo!” Pansy said.</p><p> </p><p>“You are not going,” Draco said firmly, “I put my foot down at that. You only managed to slip out of the tower yourself last night after your latest capture. You’re not in any state to go on a rescue mission.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy looked reluctant, but Daphne stepped forward and said, “Draco’s right, you need to stay here, Pansy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” Pansy agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“And you can guard the door to the bathroom, but that’s the furthest that you will go, Draco,” Daphne added.</p><p> </p><p>Draco opened his mouth to object.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re in pain which makes you a liability,” Daphne said.</p><p> </p><p>Draco knew she was right, so he nodded, “I’ll guard the bathroom door.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne turned to Blaise and Tracey, “Come on, we need to help Theo.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>By the time they put the plan into motion, it was evening. The Carrows had left less than an hour ago, and it was almost curfew which meant that the corridors were relatively empty. Theo landed on the roof as planned, but he had reinforcements on the sixth floor now.</p><p> </p><p>He had hoped that Sadie wouldn’t be in the top cell and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was empty. It took him at least ten minutes to break the lock on the door to the tower, and when he did, it set off the caterwauling charm.</p><p> </p><p>Theo ran into the tower and blasted down the door of Sadie’s cell, “Sadie!”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie looked up. She looked exhausted and very ill, she was incredibly pale, and it seemed to take a lot of effort for her to lift her head.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo,” She whispered.                     </p><p> </p><p>He hurried towards her and cut the ties that bound her. Like Neville had been in Defence Against the Dark Arts, she had been restrained upright to the wall.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie collapsed into his arms and let out a whimper of pain.</p><p> </p><p>“What did they do to you?” Theo asked. He was unable to hide the anger that laced his voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing,” Sadie lied, “How did you get in here?”</p><p> </p><p>“The Carrows are at a Death Eater meeting,” Theo said. He helped Sadie to her feet, “And I flew onto the roof to get you, but I set off the caterwauling charm, so we don’t have much time.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah!” Sadie cried out when she put weight on her right leg.</p><p> </p><p>“Is it broken?” Theo asked anxiously.</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Sadie shook her head, “I don’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>Without a second thought, Theo lifted Sadie into his arms and rushed down the spiral staircase as fast as he could. He knew where the trap doors were and made sure to avoid every single one of them.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie clung to him tightly. She had complete faith in him. Sadie knew he would get her to safety; she knew he wouldn’t fall into any of the traps. They had been friends for a long time, but at that moment, she had never trusted him more.</p><p> </p><p>“Where’s Pansy?” Sadie asked. She fought the urge to shut her eyes and let sleep take over her, but it was growing increasingly difficult.</p><p> </p><p>“She got out last night, snuck out while the Carrows were doing the rounds,” Theo explained when they reached the bottom of the narrow staircase.</p><p> </p><p>At that point, Theo pressed his finger against Sadie’s lips as they heard voices in the corridor. He acted quickly and pulled them both into a broom cupboard. He shut the door quietly and placed Sadie down on her good foot.</p><p> </p><p>They were pressed very tightly together in the broom cupboard and even in her exhausted state of mind, Sadie blushed slightly at the contact. They held their breath as the voices passed them on the stairs. The voices belonged to Crabbe and Goyle who were patrolling the area in the Carrows absence. They must have noticed the lack of the security troll, and in a moment, they would discover that Sadie was gone too.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” Theo whispered. He opened the door and lifted Sadie effortlessly once more. They emerged onto the main sixth-floor corridor, and Theo saw Daphne waving them over from the entrance to the central tower.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout their explorations as of late, they had discovered that the central tower doubled as a great shortcut. There were secret entrances and exits into it on almost every single floor. They darted into the tower and followed Daphne down it until they reached a fake window which opened out onto the second-floor corridor.</p><p> </p><p>“There you are,” Draco hissed from where he had been keeping watch outside the fake window. He knew that was how they would re-enter the second-floor corridor, “You took longer than expected.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think Sadie has broken something,” Theo admitted, “She can’t walk.”</p><p> </p><p>“Come on then,” Draco said. He peered along the corridor then led the way towards the bathroom, “We need to get her back so Trace can look over her.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded and smiled down reassuringly at Sadie, “Don’t worry,” he whispered, “We’ll be back soon.”</p><p> </p><p>They rushed along the corridor and made their way through the locked door, into the bathroom. Draco made sure that the door was locked behind them and they waded through the flooded corridor.</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie!” Daphne called out when they lay Sadie down in the bathroom. Her eyelids were very heavy, and her eyes were beginning to roll back into her head, “What happened?”</p><p> </p><p>“She might have broken something,” Theo answered, “I had to carry her here.”</p><p> </p><p>He knelt next to her as Tracey and Daphne began to cast diagnostic charms on their friend.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re safe now,” He assured Sadie, placing a kiss on her cold cheek.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie tried to look him in the eye, but the effort was too much. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she lost consciousness.</p><p> </p><p>Theo stayed by her side and watched anxiously as the girls gave her potions and performed healing charms on her. She had been tortured, which was why she was so weak. Her ankle was broken because they had bound her up so tightly and roughly.</p><p> </p><p>After what felt like a lifetime, Tracey blew out a sigh of relief and said, “She’s going to be okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo let out a breath that he hadn’t even realised that he was holding. He nodded. Draco put his arm around his friend and said, “How is your arm?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked down and frowned. His dark mark had been burning the entire time he had been with Sadie, but he hadn’t even noticed. His skin was marked and burned; it was beginning to blister. He looked over at Draco and saw that his friend's arm was the same.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t…” Theo looked up at Draco, “I didn’t even feel it.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco raised an eyebrow at the dark-haired boy, “Well if that’s not love, I don’t know what is.</p><p> </p><p>Theo usually denied it; he said that Sadie was just his friend. He made a smart arse remark about how he was the schools most eligible bachelor, but this time he just let his eyes linger on Sadie for longer than they should have done.</p><p> </p><p>“She’s going to be okay,” Draco re-iterated.</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded again, “She’s going to be okay.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The next day, Theo hovered close to Sadie while she lay in bed and recovered. He didn’t want to irritate her by being by her side constantly, but he made sure to check in on her regularly, and he didn’t let her out of bed unless she needed to go to the toilet.</p><p> </p><p>The only exception was in the evening when Draco fiddled with the radio and Tracey hit it with a blast of magic to get it to work. It was challenging to get the radio to pick up any signal due to the wards on the castle. The Death Eaters didn’t want them to hear news from home, but for a wizard as skilled with ward-magic as Draco, it was relatively easy to hack the radio signal and reroute it. The hard part was guessing the password for the ‘Potterwatch’ broadcast, but most nights they managed to get in. They didn’t like how overly ‘light-heavy’ it was, but it summarised events in the outside world, and more importantly, it reported any deaths.</p><p> </p><p>Theo helped Sadie onto a sofa in the living area of the bathroom; then he wrapped her up in a blanket as they all fell silent to listen to the broadcast together. They listened to the usual nonsense until they reached the segment about recent deaths and thankfully, none of their families names were mentioned. But when they got onto news about the ‘Chief Death Eater’, that being Voldemort, a familiar name came up.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“And we are joined here today by Anaconda. We have heard in these past few hours that the Chief Death Eater has recruited another. The great mind that is Septimus Cauldwell has turned his expertise to the dark. What do you have to say about that Anaconda?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The group of friends drew in a collective gasp at those words.</p><p> </p><p>Theo put a supportive arm around Sadie as ‘Anaconda’ began to speak.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s Sorenson,” Sadie whispered.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I have heard it from a reputable source Rapier, that Septimus only turned to the light under duress. His daughter is in her final year at Hogwarts, and she was held captive, tortured and threatened to twist his hand. He is not a strong man, not a fighter, but an inventor. He did what he felt he had to do for the sake of his daughter. No part of me believes that he ever wanted to join them.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Sadie gripped Theo tightly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Two Death Eaters arrived at his home and attacked his wife, then informed him of his daughter's imprisonment. I think it would be enough to turn any good man.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Sadie’s eyes widened.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“And is his wife alive, Anaconda?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes, she is. An Auror was at the scene when the attack took place, and from what I heard, he killed one of the attackers, Rabastan Lestrange. The Auror in question is now on the run from the regime. I believe that he has plans to meet up with a section of Aurors who rebelled against the Ministry when the Chief Death Eater took over.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“That is good to know. Thank you for your report, Anaconda.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Rabastan,” Sadie said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“But he’s your uncle,” Daphne said.</p><p> </p><p>“That means nothing,” Sadie said, she nestled into Theo’s embrace, “He always hated my mother. He wouldn’t lose sleep over attacking his own sister.”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t realise there was bad blood there, sorry Sadie,” Daphne said. She sat down on her friend's other side and put an arm over her.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded, “You know that my mother dated Draco’s father when they were in school, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne nodded, and Sadie continued, “After they broke up, she was disowned for running away from her marriage contract to that thug Avery which turned my uncles against her. Then when she married an eccentric half-blood who had been in Ravenclaw and was an inventor with no respectable job…it was the final straw I guess.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not a bad thing to be distant from them,” Draco said honestly, “At least this way you didn’t have to grow up with the Lestrange brothers and the sick three-way they have going on with my aunt.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne made a face, “Gross.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, it is,” Draco assured her.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie sighed, “My father will go to Azkaban when this is over.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, he won’t,” Daphne said, “He was coerced into joining them Sadie, it’s not his fault.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie wanted to believe that, but as the war went on, she just grew more cynical. She sighed and got to her feet, “I’m going back to bed,” she said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie-”</p><p> </p><p>“Just leave me be,” Sadie snapped, disappearing behind the curtain without another word.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~TBC ~ *</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. If You Can Hold On</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>All information about Potterwatch broadcasts came from this page:</p><p>https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Potterwatch_broadcasts</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ A MOUNTAIN IN SCOTLAND ~*</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>30<sup>th</sup> October 1997</em>
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</p><p>It felt like Ron had been gone forever, but in reality, it had been two days. Just two, long, miserable days.</p><p> </p><p>Harry sighed as he looked over at Hermione. She sat with her legs curled up beneath her, her head resting on her knees. She was staring blankly ahead, lost in thought but so sad-looking. She had bags under her dull eyes. It was like the light had gone out, like when she smiled it never quite reached her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>He wanted to make it all better. To make her happy again, to erase all the stupid things that Ron had ever done to hurt her, but Harry didn’t know how so he just looked at her for a long moment until a song began to play on the radio.</p><p> </p><p>The idea was stupid, and she would probably say no, but he rose to his feet and crossed the tent. When he reached her, she looked up at him silently. Harry held out his hand, Hermione looked at it for a moment then took it.</p><p> </p><p>He pulled her to her feet and looked her in the eye. Confusion flickered there and a small frown formed on her brow. Harry reached behind her back and unclasped the Horcrux, throwing it with more violence than he needed to onto the bunk bed next to her.</p><p> </p><p>Harry took her hands and gently pulled her into the middle of the tent where the space was more open. He turned the radio up a little with a flick of his wrist and started to sway in time to the music. He couldn’t really call it dancing, Harry was a terrible dancer after all.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione tried not to smile when she realised what he was doing, but he saw her eyes light up for just a second, and that was enough to make him carry on. He smiled at her, and as the music got more upbeat, she smiled too; her first genuine smile in quite some time.</p><p> </p><p>Harry felt lighter as they danced, he felt happier than he had in months. He spun her around and brought her back to him, and she laughed, a melodic sound that filled the tent for a few glorious seconds.</p><p> </p><p>They both ended up laughing, Hermione at Harry for being ridiculous and not knowing the gender-specific roles of such a dance. Harry at Hermione for having terrible timing. As the song began to slow down, he pulled Hermione closer and held her there, hoping she wouldn’t pull away.</p><p> </p><p>He shut his eyes and enjoyed the comfort of a warm body against his own in the bitter winter. Rather than pulling away, Hermione held him just as tightly, her chin resting on his shoulder as they slowly spun around in circles.</p><p> </p><p>When the song came to an end, it was Hermione who pulled back, and Harry looked at her expectantly. He knew she was in love with Ron, he doubted she felt anything more than friendship for him.</p><p> </p><p>Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, and just when Harry expected her to turn away from him, the opposite happened. It took Harry’s brain a moment to catch up and process that he was being kissed by his best friend, but when he did, he returned the kiss eagerly.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t slow, gentle or sweet. It was passionate, a little too hard and needy, but filled with emotion. Hermione hadn’t kissed a boy since Viktor Krum back in fifth year, and she had no idea that Harry was such an experienced kisser. She gasped softly when Harry gently bit her bottom lip and slipped his tongue into her mouth, Hermione moaned as Harry flicked his tongue over hers and she felt a knot begin to form in her stomach. Where this had the potential to go was frightening, what this had the potential to do to Ron and to Ginny was worse.</p><p> </p><p>Harry broke the kiss and looked at her with such raw emotion in his eyes. She should have stopped it there, she should have put an end to it but she couldn’t. Hermione realised that this was the most vulnerable she had ever seen her best friend. He was asking her without words if she wanted to do this because neither of them were stupid. They were young, they were lonely, and they both knew exactly where this was going to go.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione replied with a slight movement of her head and by leaning in and capturing Harry’s lips once more. Silent tears ran down both of their cheeks, and neither of them were quite sure why they were crying. This kiss was just as passionate as the first had been, but this time Harry allowed his hands to roam.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione had thought nothing could feel better than the way Harry kissed her, but then he slipped his hands under her top, and over her skin, this made Hermione moan gently into Harry’s kiss. Harry groaned at the sweet sound and broke the kiss to pull Hermione’s top off. The two friends shared another look, and this time Harry was giving Hermione one last chance to back out, but she didn’t, she captured Harry’s lips once more and broke the kiss only to pull off the baggy shirt he was wearing.</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>The morning after was about as awkward as could have been expected. Hermione was upset, Harry felt guilty. The wind howled outside the tent, they both shivered as they lay in the tiny bottom bunkbed together.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s Halloween.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that what last night was about?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry turned his head to look at her, “What’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione grabbed an oversized jumper that Ron had left behind and pulled it on then she got to her feet and looked down at him, “Were you sad? Is that why you danced with me?”</p><p> </p><p>“I danced with you because you were sad,” Harry said honestly, “I wanted to make you feel better.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione laughed bitterly, “That’s how you make a girl feel better then, is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione…” Harry said, “I don’t…I mean…what did I do wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing,” Hermione muttered as she turned away from him.</p><p> </p><p>But Harry wasn’t going to let it slide that quickly, “If you don’t want to talk about what happened, then say so. Don’t just lie and say it’s fine if it’s not.”</p><p> </p><p>“It <em>is </em>fine,” Hermione said unconvincingly, “I’m going to get dressed.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Harry said, letting his head drop back onto the pillow with a soft groan.</p><p> </p><p>What had they done? They had crossed a line, arguably one that should never have been crossed and no matter how hard they tried, or how much they wanted to go back, they couldn’t.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>November 1997</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p><p>Halloween came and went without anything eventful happening at Hogwarts. The weather got colder; the Slytherins had to set up some warming charms on their chilly bathroom lair. The quiet spell made them all feel wary like something big was coming, but they didn’t know what it was yet.</p><p> </p><p>Being stuck in a tiny bathroom together was driving them all a little insane. It was hard to get any space, so they found that they bickered over small things even though they were all friends. They had to take the moments of peace and privacy whenever they could, but even they were getting harder to find.</p><p> </p><p>This was proven early one morning when Theo headed into the boys' section of the bathroom for a shower. There were four cubicles on each side; two with toilets and two with showers. Theo already knew that he was going to walk in on something because he heard muted moans and groans the moment he stepped over the threshold.</p><p> </p><p>Theo shook his head in amusement and opened the cubicle door. Surely enough, Daphne and Blaise were in the shower together, naked.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo!” Daphne hissed, “Fuck off!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo smirked, “Really, guys? In the shower? In the bathroom that we all have to share. I mean wow, that’s worse than Draco fucking Pansy in the bed <em>underneath mine</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne glared at him, “Great story Theo. Can you fuck off now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, I’m enjoying the show,” Theo said, his eyes roaming over Daphne’s body.</p><p> </p><p>“Go and perv on someone else,” Daphne said bluntly, “Because it doesn’t matter how long you stand there for, I am not going to ask you to join in.”</p><p> </p><p>“Damn,” Theo said in jest.</p><p> </p><p>Blaise rolled his eyes and grabbed his wand from the shelf above the shower, “Fuck off Theo. Aguamenti.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo shrieked like a girl as the cold blast of water sprayed into his face. He spluttered and shook his head, “Rude,” he muttered as the cubicle door slammed shut in his face.</p><p> </p><p>Inside the cubicle, Daphne captured Blaise’s lips and muttered, “He genuinely wanted to join in.”</p><p> </p><p>“It might have been interesting,” Blaise murmured, his hands sliding down her wet body so that he could lift her and press her against the wall.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne hummed against his neck and shook her head, “I don’t feel like sharing,” she teased.</p><p> </p><p>Blaise smirked and kissed her again.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“We need a bigger lair,” Theo muttered as he walked out of the shower with a towel around his waist.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie raised an eyebrow at him, “Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because I’m getting tired of Draco having sex underneath my bed, and Daphne fucking Blaise in the showers,” Theo said with a roll of his eyes, “I mean I’m in withdrawal Sade. Everyone is having sex, and I’ve not had any in weeks. I lost track of how much sex I had last year.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well there were at least six girls involved,” Sadie said bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?” Theo asked with interest.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Theo,” Sadie remarked, “Because I remember their names, even if you don’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a great conscience Sade, I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Theo said, dropping down onto her bed in just his towel.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie sighed as he lay down next to her, “Don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, you’re invaluable to me,” Theo said with a grin, “Who did I sleep with last year? Because I need a fix and there’s no one in here who I can shag.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie pushed herself to her feet, “Fuck off, Theo.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked up in alarm.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie turned around and looked at him angrily, “I’m not going to tell you what girls you shagged last year when you forgot their bloody names! I’m not in the mood to tell <em>you </em>who you should shag because you need a quick fix so just leave me alone!”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie swept out of the sleeping area and tried to slam the curtain behind her. Theo threw his head back against the pillow and groaned irritably.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo ducked his head out, “What?”</p><p> </p><p>“Stop hiding in the girls’ bedroom and come help me,” Draco called.</p><p> </p><p>Theo got to his feet and transfigured himself into clothes, then he stepped out into the main bathroom, “What’s up?”</p><p> </p><p>“I need you to head out tonight,” Draco said. He opened the door to the store cupboard, “We’re running low on supplies, mate.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Theo said simply, “I’ll go alone though. It’s easier to sneak in and out of the kitchens that way.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “I’ll give you a shout after curfew.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ A HILLSIDE IN WALES… ~* </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>November 1997</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione looked over at him as they sat on watch outside the tent together, “What?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry for taking advantage of you,” Harry said quietly, “You were upset, I shouldn’t have…I know you haven’t…look…” he sighed, his words all muddled up, “I know that was the first time you…you know? And it shouldn’t have been like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like what? In a dirty tent in the middle of freezing cold winter?” Hermione asked, there was no hint of bitterness in her voice this time, though.</p><p> </p><p>“With someone you don’t love,” Harry added.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione sighed and took Harry’s hand, “I do love you, Harry. Not in the conventional way that you ought to love someone before you sleep with them, but you mean so much to me.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry caught her eye, “You mean a lot to me too, Hermione. I don’t think I’d be alive without you.”</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head, “You would be. You think you need me, but you don’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“I do,” Harry argued, squeezing her hand, “I’ve always needed you. Sometimes I look back on my life, and I’m seriously impressed that I’m still alive, but I am <em>because </em>of you.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, “Are you sure being on the run hasn’t driven you mad?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry laughed lightly, “First year, you got us through that potions riddle. If that had been Ron and me, we’d never have worked it out.”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t do anything in second year, that was all you,” Hermione said softly.</p><p> </p><p>“No, it wasn’t. If I hadn’t found that piece of parchment in your hand, I would never have worked out what was in the chamber of secrets,” Harry said, “Just like I could never have saved Sirius or Buckbeak without you. I would never have survived the Triwizard Tournament without you.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not all one way, Harry,” Hermione said, “None of us would have survived the Ministry without you.”</p><p> </p><p>“You nearly didn’t,” Harry reminded her, something flashed in his eyes, but it was so brief, she couldn’t work out what emotion it was.</p><p> </p><p>Their eyes met, and that spark flickered again. That knotting feeling in Hermione’s gut was back, it was guilt, she was sure of it. Harry had spent the whole of the previous day watching Ginny’s dot on the Marauders map, wondering if she would forgive him if they got through this and Hermione had spent the day wearing Ron’s jumper.</p><p> </p><p>There had been a silent agreement that it had to be a one-time thing, that it couldn’t happen again. But then they were kissing outside the tent, and Hermione was mumbling, “We can’t, Harry, we have to keep guard.”</p><p> </p><p>And Harry was replying, his lips against the smooth skin of her neck, “We’ve been out here for two hours. Nothing is going to happen if we go inside for ten minutes.”</p><p> </p><p>And that was it. That was how the self-destructive, ‘we shouldn’t be doing this, but why the hell is it so addictive then?’ relationship began.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>November 1997</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The radio in the Room of Requirement was finally working. The room fell silent every time they managed to tune into it so that they could listen to Potterwatch. It gave them hope if nothing else. Hearing familiar voices on the radio made them feel less alone. They often listened to the voices of Lee, Fred and George but every so often guests such as Kingsley and Remus dropped in, using code names of course.</p><p> </p><p><em>“We </em><em>apologise for our temporary absence from the airwaves, which is due to several house-calls in our area by those charming "Death Eaters". But now, we're back! So, let's move to news concerning the wizard who is proving just as elusive as Harry Potter. We'd like to refer to him as "Chief Death Eater". And here to give us his views on some of the more</em> <em>insane rumours circulating about him, I'd like to introduce our new correspondent, "Rodent"!</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I'm not being Rodent! I told you, I want to be, "Rapier"</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ginny smiled at Fred’s voice. Neville knew that it helped for her to hear his voice on the broadcasts, he imagined that she missed and worried about all of her brothers.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Oh alright, "Rapier"! Could you tell our listeners the various stories you've heard about the Chief Death Eater?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Yes, I can. As our listeners will know, unless they've taken refuge at the bottom of a garden pond, You-Know-Who's strategy of remaining in the shadows is creating a nice climate of panic! Mind you, if all alleged sightings of him are genuine, there must be nineteen You-Know-Whos running around!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Which suits him of course, the air of mystery creates more terror than actually showing himself.</em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>Agreed. So people, let's try and calm it down a bit, things are bad enough without inventing stuff! For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill you with a single glance from his eyes. That's a Basilisk, l</em><em>isteners! One simple test: Check whether the thing that's glaring at you has legs: if it has, it's safe to look. Although, if it really is You-Know-Who, that's still likely to be the</em> last <em>thing you ever do.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Well, thank you for that update, "Rodent"!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Rapier"!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>And don't forget to tune in again listeners, for more stories, tales, updates, and advice. In the meantime-</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Stay safe!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>And support Harry Potter!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny reached down and turned the radio off, “Support Harry Potter,” she said with a sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what we’re doing here,” Neville assured her.</p><p> </p><p>“I know it is,” Ginny said, she leant back on the sofa and subconsciously shuffled closer to Neville, “But it doesn’t make it any easier. I try and get to sleep at night, and I wonder where they are and what they are doing. I know they must be alive because if You-Know-Who kills Harry, we’ll know about it but…”</p><p> </p><p>“But your mind is always on him,” Neville finished.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t want it to be,” Ginny admitted, “I don’t want to be the girl who waited for Harry Potter. I want to be the girl who fought.”</p><p> </p><p>“You are,” Neville said, he reached down and gripped her hand, “You’re so much more than Harry Potter’s girlfriend or ex-girlfriend, Gin. You and I, and Luna, we’re leading a revolution here. People look up to you, they admire you, and you inspire them. You should be proud of what you started here.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny smiled out at the group of students who had gone back to doing their own thing the moment the radio broadcast came to an end, “I am,” she said honestly, “But things are getting harder. We’re almost out of food, and I understand why you keep letting more people in Neville, but the room can’t take many more people, and it’s becoming impossible to steal enough food to keep us all going.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re going to explore that caved in tunnel that we found,” Neville promised her, “I’ve had Seamus and a few of the guys clearing it out, bit by bit every day.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hope it goes to Hogsmeade,” Ginny said, she bit her lip, “Then maybe we can get some of the kids out to safety, or at the very least get some more food in here.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded and looked over at the tunnel in question.</p><p> </p><p>“Luna is going to the kitchens tonight,” Ginny said, “And I know you don’t like us going out alone, but when it comes to the kitchens, it’s the safest option.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know it is,” Neville admitted grudgingly.</p><p> </p><p>“She’ll be fine,” Ginny said confidently as her eyes met Luna’s across the room, “She’s got the bravery of a Gryffindor to go with her big Ravenclaw brains.”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s quite something,” Neville agreed as he also shot a smile in Luna’s direction.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Theo was expecting another slightly risky trek to the kitchen that evening after curfew. He took the same route that he always used and was about to step out into the corridor opposite the portrait of the fruit bowl when the sound of footsteps stopped him. He peered around the edge of the tapestry and grimaced when he saw that Luna Lovegood had just emerged from the kitchens.</p><p> </p><p>“Rebel!”</p><p> </p><p>“Crucio!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo shut his eyes tightly as the high-pitched scream filled the corridor. Luna convulsed on the ground as Alecto stood over her body and subjected her to a concentrated dose of the cruciatus curse. He wanted to help, but all he had was his wand, and anything he did would alert them to his presence.</p><p> </p><p>“This is good, Alecto,” Amycus said eagerly.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto grinned and holstered her wand. She grabbed Luna roughly and hauled her to her feet, “Good? This girl is golden Amycus. She is the key to getting the rebels to turn themselves in.”</p><p> </p><p>“We use her as leverage then?” Amycus asked.</p><p> </p><p>“And if the fish don’t bite then we throw her out of the tower and make an example of her,” Alecto said with a wicked grin.</p><p> </p><p>Luna whimpered as Alecto began to drag her along the corridor. Between the whimper and the flash of blonde hair, Theo just saw Sadie. He imagined that it was Sadie and that he was Neville. And what would Neville do in his position? Well he sure as hell wouldn’t sit back and let it happen, that was for sure.</p><p> </p><p>“Here goes nothing,” Theo muttered as he stepped out of the passageway into the corridor and shouted, “Oi Dickheads! I think you’re looking for me.”</p><p> </p><p>The Carrows turned around, and their eyes widened. Alecto loosened her grip on Luna, so Theo shouted, “Bombarda!” and he blasted her in the arm.</p><p> </p><p>She cried out in pain, and Theo shouted, “Lovegood, run!”</p><p> </p><p>Luna did, and Theo felt the cruciatus curse hit him before he heard the words. He fell to his knees and was disarmed immediately by Amycus. The way that the man tortured him confirmed his suspicions about his relationship with his twin sister. He had often thought that it was unnatural, and the fact that Amycus tortured him within an inch of his life proved that.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop,” Alecto hissed after she had healed herself, “Don’t kill him, you idiot! He’s a traitor. The Dark Lord will want to dispose of him.”</p><p> </p><p>“If the boy’s father doesn’t get to him first,” Amycus said nastily.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto looked down at Theo and shook her head, “You are an idiot, Nott.”</p><p> </p><p>“Guilty as charged, Alecto,” Theo said, spitting out a mouthful of blood and looking up at her determinedly.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s take him to the tower,” Alecto said.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus lifted Theo and threw him over his shoulder roughly, “Gladly.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>As the clock ticked on, the group of Slytherins got more and more worried.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s been three hours,” Blaise said, his eyes flicking over to Draco.</p><p> </p><p>“He isn’t coming back,” Draco admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“He must have gotten caught,” Tracey said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie let her head drop into her hands, “Oh Merlin no, do you think he’s dead? He can’t be dead!”</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie!” Daphne exclaimed. She got to her feet and pulled her friend into a hug, “He’s probably in the tower. Calm down.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t,” Sadie said tearfully, “Because the last thing that we did was fight! If he dies the last thing I said to him was that I wanted him to fuck off.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t think like that Sadie,” Tracey said softly, “He might not even have been captured, he might have just been forced to lie low.”</p><p> </p><p>“But if he has been captured they will have killed him!” Sadie said tearfully, “Because he’s a rogue Death Eater, he’s a traitor.”</p><p> </p><p>“That doesn’t mean that they are going to kill him,” Pansy said, she looked up at Draco for support.</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed and placed his hand on Sadie’s shoulder, “If he is in the tower, I doubt that he’s dead because he <em>is </em>a rogue Death Eater which means that the Dark Lord will…he will want to do it himself.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie sobbed at this.</p><p> </p><p>“Why did you two even fight?” Daphne asked as she hugged her friend tightly.</p><p> </p><p>“Because he was lying on my bed talking about how there was nobody in this room that he could shag and I was <em>right there, </em>and I thought he knew. After he rescued me from the tower, I thought he knew how I felt,” Sadie said through her tears.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh Sade,” Daphne murmured, kissing her friend on top of the head, “If we get him out of there, do me a favour and tell him that you’re in love with him.”</p><p> </p><p>This came as a shock to only one member of the friend group, “You’re in love with him?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne looked at her ex in surprise, “Do you have eyes? Are you actually blind?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Draco said with a frown, “I just didn’t…realise that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Neither did Theo,” Sadie cried.</p><p> </p><p>“Look, everyone needs to calm down,” Draco said, raising his voice a little, “Until we send a scout out tomorrow, we don’t know what has happened to Theo. Let’s get the facts straight before we panic. Okay?”</p><p> </p><p>There was a general murmur of agreement, but it was hard to hear it over Sadie’s sobs.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Theo’s capture shook more than just the Slytherins. When Luna got back, with plenty of food but some horrible injuries to go with it, an almighty fight broke out in the Room of Requirement.</p><p> </p><p>“Why the hell did you send Lovegood?” Ernie shouted, “She’s a dreamer! She’s the least reliable person to get food.”</p><p> </p><p>“She came back with food,” Neville said hotly, “So stop questioning it, or you’ll not eat, McMillan!”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh so you’re a god now, are you?” Ernie asked hotly, “You decide who lives and dies?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville opened his mouth to argue, but he didn’t have a chance.</p><p> </p><p>“So what do we do about Nott then?” Wayne Hopkins asked, “Do we save him?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Neville replied simply.</p><p> </p><p>“He saved Luna!” Stephen Cornfoot objected.</p><p> </p><p>“She would be dead if not for him, but we’re just going to leave him to die?” Lavender asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s not our problem!” Neville snapped, “He’s not on our side.”</p><p> </p><p>“He is, he saved Luna!”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that what this has become then? Us against them?”</p><p> </p><p>“My brother was in Slytherin!” Mandy Brocklehurst piped up, “So you would have just left him to die too then?”</p><p> </p><p>“ENOUGH!” Neville roared, and the room fell eerily silently, “It’s not us against them, but it is about survival. We don’t know how many Slytherins are down there in their little hideout, wherever that may be. We don’t know where they are, and they don’t know where we are! We can’t just storm the tower and risk <em>our </em>lives to rescue Nott when we don’t even know for sure if he’s on our side! They don’t help us rescue our people; they leave us to our own devices, so we need to let them do the same.”</p><p> </p><p>The students in the room watched him as he spoke.</p><p> </p><p>“If they ask for our help then, of course, we will help them,” Neville said, “But until then, we have to let them live, and they will let us live. This is war, and there are factions in a war. We might be on the same side, but that doesn’t mean that we want the same things.”</p><p> </p><p>He was breathing heavily by the time he had finished his rant. Neville looked out over the crowd, “We need to stop fighting amongst ourselves, or we are never going to survive. I know you are all hungry and exhausted because I am too, but we need to carry on because if we don’t the Death Eaters, the Carrows, Snape, You-Know-Who, they all win. We can’t let them win.”</p><p> </p><p>A round of applause broke out, and Neville sighed when he jumped down from the table. He shook his head and calmed down when Ginny placed her hand on his arm, “That was a pretty inspirational speech Mr. ‘Not Harry Potter’.”</p><p> </p><p>“I try my best,” Neville admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not Harry,” Ginny promised, her eyes meeting his, “Harry couldn’t have done that. Right here, right now, I would have Neville Longbottom over Harry Potter any day.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s eyes widened in surprise, “Really?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny smiled softly, “Really.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville regretted his decision before he had made it, but he leant down and captured her lips in a chaste kiss. Ginny had seen it coming because she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes and returned the kiss briefly. Then she pulled back and looked up at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh Godric,” Neville said, his eyes flooding with guilt, “No, I…I’m sorry. I…Harry asked me to look after you. You’re <em>dating </em>Harry.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Ginny said firmly, “I’m not. I’m not the girl who waited. I won’t be.”</p><p> </p><p>“But I made Harry a promise,” Neville said, tearing his eyes away from hers.</p><p> </p><p>“Harry made me a promise once,” Ginny said, grabbing her wand and turning away from Neville, “People break promises all of the time Neville.”</p><p> </p><p>Before Neville could say anything more, Ginny yelled, “Goldstein, come on. You’re on guard duty!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When Blaise came back with a solemn face the following morning, they knew that it was terrible news.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s in the tower,” Blaise said the moment the bathroom door shut behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“Is he alive?” Sadie asked, her eyes were red and bloodshot. She had barely slept that night.</p><p> </p><p>Blaise nodded, “I listened to a conversation between the Carrows. They have taken him to the tower and informed the Dark Lord of his capture. Apparently, he is busy overseas at the moment, so they are under orders to hold him in the tower until he returns and…”</p><p> </p><p>“And what?”</p><p> </p><p>“And if he starves before then, so be it,” Blaise finished.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie let her head drop into her hands.</p><p> </p><p>“We can get him out before then though,” Tracey said, looking up at Draco, “Right Draco?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco tapped his fingers against the desk and pushed himself up, “I don’t know,” he said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s your best friend-”</p><p> </p><p>“I know that Tracey!” Draco snapped, “And if I thought that we stood a chance I would storm the tower right now, but I can’t risk any of your lives just to save Theo’s. If I put any of you on the line for him and you died, Theo would never forgive me.”</p><p> </p><p>They were silent because they knew that Draco was right.</p><p> </p><p>The blond man flipped the blackboard and studied the plan of the tower that they had gradually built up, “I just can’t see a way of getting him out. They have built up their security so much in the last few weeks…”</p><p> </p><p>“There is always a way,” Daphne said in a whisper, “We just need to find it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t see how we can,” Draco said quietly. He caught her eye and said, “I want him out as much as you do, trust me. He’s…he means so much to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know how much he means to you,” Daphne admitted, her hand resting on his arm gently, “He is your family.”</p><p> </p><p>“You all are,” Draco said, his eyes lingering on hers for a moment longer than they should have done.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy eyed them warily from the other side of the bathroom. She couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but she could tell that the moment was intimate.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me run some scenarios through my head,” Draco said. He pulled his arm away from Daphne’s and sat down at the desk, “But I can’t put any of our people in there until I know we stand a chance of surviving the ordeal. Okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne nodded, “Okay,” she said simply. Without another word, she sat back down next to Sadie.</p><p> </p><p>In her place, Pansy walked up behind Draco and placed her hands on his shoulders. He sighed and relaxed back into her touch, “I love you,” she murmured against his ear, “And I know that you can get him out.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco reached up and grabbed her hand, “Thank you,” he said, placing a kiss on her knuckles as he stared down at the plan of the tower.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE COTSWOLDS ~*</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>November 1997</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“We need to stop doing this.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry’s breathing was still shaky as he lay in bed with Hermione, “Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because I’m not right for you, Harry,” Hermione said, drawing the covers up around herself, “I’m not what you want, I’m just what you need right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Harry said, frowning and propping himself up onto his elbow, “No, that’s not true.”</p><p> </p><p>“It is,” Hermione said, her eyes meeting his, “Ginny’s your soulmate, not me.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry scoffed, “Soulmate? What’s a soulmate, exactly?”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione thought about this for a moment then looked up at the roof of the tent as it blew in the breeze.</p><p> </p><p>“Someone you carry with you forever,” Hermione said, “That’s what my mum used to say. It’s the person who knew you and accepted you, and believed in you before anyone else did, or when no one else would.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry thought about that as Hermione paused.</p><p> </p><p>“No matter what happens, you’ll always love that person. Nothing can ever change that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ginny didn’t accept me or believe in me before anyone else did,” Harry said softly, “You did. You believed me in me when no one else would. When everyone turned against me…when nobody believed me, Ginny included, in fourth year. <em>You </em>knew I hadn’t put my name in the goblet of fire.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione opened her mouth but said nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re the one person who has always stayed Hermione,” Harry said, rolling onto his stomach so he could look at her properly, “When everyone else left, even Ron, you have always been here. Even when you think I’m wrong, you stay with me and I…I…”</p><p> </p><p>“Harry, don’t,” Hermione said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked her dead in the eye, “I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, you don’t,” Hermione said in a broken voice.</p><p> </p><p>“I do,” Harry argued.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione shut her eyes tightly, “You think you do, there’s a difference.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but before he could she got out of the tiny bed and disappeared to the mouth of the tent with the pretence of ‘keeping watch’. Harry sighed and looked up at the roof, already missing her warmth and the comforting scent that was just Hermione.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>November 1997</em>
</p><p> </p><p>As the days turned into weeks, Draco’s concern for Theo began to take its toll. He obsessed over maps and blueprints, he paced and muttered to himself at all hours of the night. His usually immaculate robes had gotten tattier. His perfectly ironed shirts became increasingly creased. His hair got longer and stubble formed on his face when he stopped shaving. He looked nothing like the Draco Malfoy that had boarded the train at the start of the year.</p><p> </p><p>He had gone over every scenario in his head a thousand times, and none of them ended well. He had taken to going over the scenarios out loud now, and he sounded insane enough to be carted off to St. Mungos.</p><p> </p><p>“Caterwauling charm covering the whole tower,” Draco would mumble as he paced, “Can’t disable it. Only Theo could, and we don’t have Theo, he’s not here. The minute we get in, they are going to know we are there. How are we going to escape them? We can’t. I mean, how can we even get in? There is too much security.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise watched his friend with concern as he paced up and down the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>“Scenario one, we get into the sixth-floor corridor and are faced with at least six Death Eaters. There are four capable duellers amongst us, against six dark wizards. Statistically speaking, two of us die, and one of us is seriously injured.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise glanced over at Daphne. She shared his concern.</p><p> </p><p>“Scenario two, one of those Death Eaters is Greyback. He kills us all, or he turns us into werewolves then we all end up in the Dark Lords army.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Scenario three, one of them is my aunt. She kills us all for fun…we can’t survive it, and if we can’t get in via the sixth floor, then we need to use the roof.”</p><p> </p><p>He spun around and looked at the blackboard, “Let’s say we survive the security troll. If there were four of us, we could probably take it even though we have run out of Weasley products to distract it with. We open the door to the tower and set off the caterwauling charm. The Death Eaters come up the tower, and we’re trapped on a roof. We’ll die, we’ll fall to our deaths like Dumbledore did. Wouldn’t that just be fucking ironic?”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s going mad,” Daphne whispered, trying to hide the unshed tears that swam in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“He needs Theo,” Blaise said, pushing himself to his feet and disappearing into the sleeping area of the bathroom.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Theo had been in the tower for two weeks when Blaise decided to take action. He was lying in bed early one morning, and he heard Daphne and Sadie talking in the living area of the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve got to eat something,” Daphne said gently, “You need to sleep. You can’t slowly kill yourself with worry or-”</p><p> </p><p>“Guilt?” Sadie snapped, “It is guilt, Daphne!”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not your fault,” Daphne assured her, “And Theo loves you, you are one of his best friends. Do you really think he would hold it against you that you fought?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll always have it on my conscience,” Sadie said quietly, “For the rest of my life it will be there. It will be a stain on my soul if he…if he dies, and the last words I spoke to him were angry ones.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed and pulled her friend into a hug, “If there was any way that I could get him out, I would. I promise you, Sadie, I would.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you would Daphne.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise lay in bed for hours thinking, and then he decided to act. That night, after curfew, he slipped out of the bathroom and snuck up to the sixth floor. It was swarming with Death Eaters, just like Draco had predicted. Blaise managed to get past them using a disillusionment charm, but the caterwauling charm was almost impossible to disable due to the lairs of encryption on it.</p><p> </p><p>“Reckon we should tell him that we can see through his disillusionment charm?” An amused voice asked.</p><p> </p><p>Blaise froze.</p><p> </p><p>Another Death Eater laughed, “Must think we’re stupid.”</p><p> </p><p>He stood up slowly and turned around, only to be faced with four Death Eaters who were all pointing their wands at him.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto strutted through them, shoving them all aside. She smirked when she saw Blaise, “Ah, it’s the handsome one.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise swallowed and took a step back.</p><p> </p><p>“I know <em>just </em>what to do with you,” Alecto chirped, “Imperio!”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise had no experience when it came to resisting the curse, so he was overcome by it very quickly. His eyes became unfocused, and Alecto’s grin widened, “Oh, we can have real fun with this boys!”</p><p> </p><p>The Death Eaters flanking her all seemed to admire her.</p><p> </p><p>“What you gonna do, Alecto?”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto cocked her head, “Answer this question truthfully. Who do you love more than anyone else in this world, right now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne Greengrass.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto’s eyes shone maliciously, “Daphne Greengrass, hmm? She has a little sister, a little sister who she is very fond of.”</p><p> </p><p>One of the Death Eaters laughed, “Oh, that’s mean, Alecto.”</p><p> </p><p>“But it will start a civil war amongst those who are fighting against us,” Alecto smirked, “Why kill them off when I can make them do it to each other?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re smart, Alecto.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, and don’t I know it?” Alecto said. She grinned at Blaise, “Zabini, I want you to find Astoria Greengrass. Do you understand?”</p><p> </p><p>“I will find Astoria Greengrass.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, you will,” Alecto said slowly, “And when you find her, you will kill her. Got it?”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise nodded, “I will kill Astoria Greengrass.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto clapped her hands, “Good boy! On you go then, no time like the present.”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise walked away, staring resolutely ahead as his body moved out with his own control.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *<br/></strong>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Another Head Aches</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>It turned out to be a good thing that Draco was losing his mind and therefore, barely sleeping. He was hunched over at the desk when the alarm sounded. He jumped to his feet, his hand wrapped tightly around his wand as he trained it on the doorway.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie had charmed the doorway with a smart little spell that could tell if someone was under a mind-altering spell or potion. It scanned all of them every single time they walked into the room, and it checked for abnormal brainwaves. In the two months that they had been hiding out in here, it had never gone off before which made Draco doubt that it was a false alarm.</p><p> </p><p>“Blaise,” Draco said as the dark-skinned man walked towards the sleeping quarters, “Where were you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Trying to rescue Theo,” Blaise replied, “Since nobody else would.”</p><p> </p><p>His eyes weren’t unfocused, which suggested that if he was under the imperius curse, it was a well-cast one. Then again, the Carrows were probably adept with every unforgivable curse.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne had heard the commotion and gotten up. She stepped out from behind a curtain in one of her silken night-gowns, “Blaise, what’s going on?”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise turned to look at her sharply, and she was alarmed by the coldness in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>The alarm continued to sound, and the others all began to get out of their beds. Blaise ripped the curtain back and pointed his wand at Astoria as she stirred in her bed, “Avada-”</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Daphne shrieked, she thrust her hands in Blaise’s direction and blasted him through the wall with a powerful, speechless ‘bombarda’.</p><p> </p><p>Before anyone could speak, Draco held up his hand and pointed to the golden glimmer around the room. It was slowly fading, so he wrote in the air, <em>Restore the wards, Sadie.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Sadie did so. It took a few minutes because she was weaker than usual. Her magic wasn’t as powerful as it usually was, and she was also exhausted. Once the golden glow had been restored, Draco grabbed Blaise and threw him roughly onto the floor of the bathroom,</p><p> </p><p>“Reparo,” Tracey mumbled, pointing her wand at the wall into the corridor. The wall repaired itself, but a lot of water had come into the bathroom when the wall had come down, so Tracey and Sadie busied themselves with drying charms while Draco and Daphne stood over Blaise.</p><p> </p><p>He lay in the middle of the floor unconscious, with a nasty gash to the side of his head. He was soaked to the skin from his dip in the dirty water in the corridor outside.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s under the imperius curse,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>“Why was he even out?” Daphne asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“You tell me,” Draco said, looking up at her.</p><p> </p><p>“He said something about saving Theo,” Pansy said from where she was sitting with Beatrice and Billie.</p><p> </p><p>“Is he going to die?” Billie asked tearfully.</p><p> </p><p>“No, Billie,” Pansy assured the little girl, “But he is under the imperius curse, and until we can snap him out of that, he won’t be himself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Was it the Carrows?” Beatrice asked.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded, “I think so.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why did he want to kill me, Pansy?”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy looked from Astoria to Daphne, “I…don't know, Astoria.”</p><p> </p><p>“Because the Carrows knew he had feelings for you,” Draco said to Daphne in a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>“He didn’t have feelings for me; it was just sex,” Daphne retorted.</p><p> </p><p>“To you,” Draco said coolly, “It was just sex to you.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne looked from Draco to Blaise.</p><p> </p><p>“What now?”</p><p> </p><p>“We tie him up in the broom cupboard across the hall. We can’t risk him waking up with a Carrow in his head in here,” Draco answered.</p><p> </p><p>“And how do we snap him out of it, exactly?” Daphne asked. She was dreading the answer.</p><p> </p><p>“Torture,” Draco murmured so that Blaise’s sisters wouldn’t hear, “It’s the only way I have ever seen anyone break free of the curse.”</p><p> </p><p>“I was worried you would say that,” Daphne admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” Draco mumbled. He reached down and grabbed her hand.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed, “Incarcerous,” she said, using her free hand to point her wand at him.</p><p> </p><p>The spell bound Blaise’s hands and feet.</p><p> </p><p>“Wingardium Leviosa,” Draco said, pointing his wand at his friend's body.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you two going to do what I think you’re going to do?” Pansy asked, stepping away from the frightened younger girls.</p><p> </p><p>Draco caught his girlfriend’s eye, “We’re going to do what needs to be done, and I won’t let you be a part of that. I can’t Pansy; I can’t let you become like me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like us,” Daphne said, a dark look passing through her eyes, “You don’t want to become like us.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy looked like she wanted to object, but she didn’t.</p><p> </p><p>“Look after the girls,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>Without another word, he and Daphne left the bathroom and deposited Blaise in the broom cupboard. They had extended their charms to the corridor, the broom and the potions cupboard so this entire area was now safe.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne watched warily as Draco conjured up a bucket and filled it with ice-cold water using aguamenti. She felt sick, “Are you going to…”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s the only way,” Draco said, his tone was emotionless, but she could see the pain in his eyes, “Do you want to leave?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shook her head.</p><p> </p><p>Draco gave her a stiff nod then turned to Blaise and said, “Ennervate!”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise woke up with a start and Draco grabbed the back of his neck. He knelt down and looked into his eyes. They were cold and unseeing, so he plunged Blaise’s head into the bucket. Daphne grimaced and looked away; she wasn’t sure how much she could take of this.</p><p> </p><p>It took three attempts before Blaise emerged from the bucket spluttering, his eyes swimming with fear and confusion.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re back,” Draco said, looking at his friend warily, “Do you remember anything?”</p><p> </p><p>“I tried to save Theo, and they caught me,” Blaise said with a frown, “She used the imperius curse on…oh no! I tried to kill Astoria.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why did you disappear in the middle of the night to try and get Theo out?” Daphne asked Blaise coldly.</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Blaise caught her eye, “I was doing it for you.”</p><p> </p><p>“For me?” Daphne hissed, “For <em>me</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>“I heard you and Sadie,” Blaise said honestly, “And I thought that if I got Theo out of the tower, you would respect me and you would…”</p><p> </p><p>“I would what?” Daphne shrieked, “I would think that you were a fucking hero? Well, I don’t Blaise, I think you’re a fucking idiot!”</p><p> </p><p>Blaise’s eyes darkened, “I did it for you, Daphne because I am falling in love with you.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne drew back in shock, “What?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed, “I warned you.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shook her head, “No, no, you do not get to put this on me like it’s my fault. I told you that it was just sex Blaise, that was all it ever was, and now it’s nothing!”</p><p> </p><p>For a brief moment, Blaise looked genuinely hurt.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” Blaise said coldly, “But I was captured, and I was controlled. You know what that makes me?”</p><p> </p><p>“A liability,” Draco answered.</p><p> </p><p>“And what do we do with liabilities?” Blaise asked calmly.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not going to kill you, Blaise,” Draco muttered in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“We dispose of liabilities,” Blaise said, “So you need to obliviate me and implant a false memory. Then Draco, you can use your Death Eater magic to help me, Beatrice and Billie escape the school.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco opened his mouth then shut it again. He looked at Daphne for reassurance.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne nodded, “He’s right, he is a liability, and we did say that we couldn’t afford them.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed but nodded, “Fine, but you won’t remember the last couple of months at all.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not convinced that’s a bad thing,” Blaise said, his eyes falling on Daphne.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne scoffed and shook her head, turning away from Blaise.</p><p> </p><p>Draco cut the ties that were binding Blaise. The dark-skinned man shut his eyes, and Draco said, “Obliviate!”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne turned back and watched the silvery streaks of memory leave Blaise’s head. Once they hung in the air, they formed a ball. Draco shut his eyes and focused on a new memory. It was vague, but it was of Blaise spending the last few weeks avoiding the Carrows. It culminated in a close call. Draco then inserted a thought, that thought was that he had to leave urgently and get his sisters to safety.</p><p> </p><p>Once he was finished, he put the fake memories back into Blaise’s head.</p><p> </p><p>Blaise opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He frowned, “Draco, I need to get the girls. I need to get them out.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, Blaise,” Draco said, gripping his friend's shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll go and get them,” Daphne said. She left the room and took a deep breath to compose herself before going back into the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>“Is he okay?” Billie asked anxiously.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne pasted on her best fake smile and nodded, “He is going to be just fine, but he has decided that he needs to leave with both of you so that he can keep you safe.”</p><p> </p><p>Beatrice nodded, “Come on, Billie, pack your things.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie and Tracey both frowned at Daphne, but neither of them said anything as they helped the Zabini sisters pack their essentials. The look Pansy gave Daphne wasn’t one of confusion; it was a knowing look. She knew exactly what she and Draco had done in that broom cupboard.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy crossed the room and grabbed her friend’s hand, “You did it to keep us safe.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne fixed her watery eyes on Pansy’s, “That didn’t make it any easier.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh Daph,” Pansy breathed, “Come here,” she said, drawing her friend in tightly. Daphne let out a shaky breath, and Pansy rested her hand on her back to calm her down.</p><p> </p><p>“It was my fault, Pansy,” Daphne said. She wasn’t crying, but Pansy could tell from how rough her voice was that she was trying hard not to.</p><p> </p><p>“Bye, Daphne.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sucked in a breath and pulled away from Pansy. She mustered up a smile and waved to Billie, “Bye girls. You look after your big brother for me, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“We will,” Beatrice said, “Bye.”</p><p> </p><p>“Bye,” Daphne said weakly.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey escorted the girls out of the bathroom to the corridor where Draco and Blaise were waiting for them. The moment the door shut behind them, Daphne let herself fall into Pansy’s arms, “It was my fault.”</p><p> </p><p>“It wasn’t your fault,” Pansy assured her as she stroked Daphne’s hair and held her tightly, “We’re in a war Daphne, emotions run high, and you are emotional at the best of times. It wasn’t your fault.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne let a few tears spill as she gripped Pansy tightly. She caught Astoria’s eye, and her younger sister smiled sympathetically at her. That was the final straw that made Daphne break down. Her foolishness had nearly gotten her little sister killed.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Blaise’s disappearance had caused a massive dip in morale. As they entered the third week of Theo’s incarceration in the tower, most of them began to give up hope that Theo was still alive. All bar Draco and Sadie.</p><p> </p><p>Draco sank deeper into his obsession to find a way into the Dark Tower, and Sadie was just as bad as Draco. She barely slept, she poured over plans with him all night long. Sometimes Daphne would wake up in the morning and find Draco wearing Sadie’s glasses, examining a map while Sadie made a pot of coffee. The two of them had grown increasingly close over their mutual love for Theo. Not for the first time, Daphne wondered what it might do to Draco if Theo was dead.</p><p> </p><p>She thought it might break him beyond repair.</p><p> </p><p>It was during one of these nights when Draco eventually said something that had been on his mind for a while.</p><p> </p><p>“I need Longbottom’s help.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie looked up into his bloodshot eyes, “Do you think he will help us?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you?” Draco asked in an undertone.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie reached across the table and took her glasses off of his face.</p><p> </p><p>“You were friends with him once,” Draco added.</p><p> </p><p>“So were you,” Sadie pointed out as she put her glasses back on.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s a good person,” Draco said, he frowned down at the desk, “I don’t think he could refuse if I asked him to help save someone.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think he has a strong moral compass,” Sadie said softly, “And an excellent heart.”</p><p> </p><p>“So you think he will help us?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded, “Yes, I do. But how do we find him?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know where they are hiding, but I can’t just walk in there,” Draco said, rubbing his eyes and blinking the sleep out of them, “They would kill me on sight.”</p><p> </p><p>“So we need to set up a meeting,” Sadie said logically, “How do we do that?”</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t leave a note somewhere, it’s too obvious,” Draco said with a sigh, “The Carrows might discover it.”</p><p> </p><p>“A Patronus?”</p><p> </p><p>“It could be intercepted,” Draco answered, “And I can’t conjure one at the best of times, I definitely couldn’t do it right now. I don’t think I’ve ever been more miserable.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me either,” Sadie admitted.</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned, “I have an idea, but it’s a long shot…I mean, I very much doubt that it will work but,” he clicked his fingers and shouted, “Dobby!”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie raised an eyebrow at him, “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked around the bathroom as if he was expecting something to happen.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” Sadie said, genuine concern shone in her eyes, “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Draco said, he ran his hands through his hair which was floppier and longer than usual, “I knew it was a longshot.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but before she could, a loud crack made them both jump.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, young master Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco grinned at the house-elf, “Dobby! Dobby I could kiss you! You came!”</p><p> </p><p>Dobby looked a little bemused.</p><p> </p><p>“Can you please help me out Dobby?” Draco practically begged the elf.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, master Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco knelt in front of the elf, “I need you to get a message to Neville Longbottom for me. I need you to ask him to meet me in the clocktower at midnight tomorrow night. Can you do that? Can you tell him that he must come?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes master Draco,” Dobby said with a fervent nod.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you Dobby,” Draco said, and he actually hugged the elf.</p><p> </p><p>Dobby disappeared with another crack, and Draco turned to Sadie with a grin, “It worked!”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh…you’re friends with your house-elf?”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s not my house-elf anymore, it’s a long story,” Draco said with a wave of his hand.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne emerged from the girls sleeping area and yawned, “What’s all the noise about?”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco just summoned a house-elf,” Sadie said, she sank onto one of the sofas and frowned, “He used him to arrange a meeting with Neville and then he hugged him…”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Daphne remarked, “Longbottom?”</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t get Theo out on our own,” Draco said, looking up at his friend, “We need their help.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nice to see that even Malfoy’s can swallow their pride sometimes.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco smiled and turned his head in the direction of the voice. Pansy was wearing one of his old Quidditch shirts and leaning against one of the bunk beds as she surveyed him.</p><p> </p><p>“If it gets him out, I don’t care about my pride,” Draco said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy smiled at him, “Come to bed, Draco. If you’re meeting up with Longbottom at midnight tomorrow, you need some sleep.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded. He shrugged off his jumper and abandoned it on the desk then he slipped behind the curtain after Pansy.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on sweetie,” Daphne said, hooking her arm through Sadie’s, “You need some sleep too. If Draco’s midnight date with Longbottom goes well, then we have a rescue mission to plan.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded reluctantly and crawled into bed with her friend.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When a loud crack sounded in the Room of Requirement, everyone drew their wands and was on edge.</p><p> </p><p>“Woah, stand down!” Neville yelled, “It’s just Dobby.”</p><p> </p><p>The wands were lowered, and Neville knelt in front of the elf, “Hey Dobby,” he said kindly. He knew of the elf through Harry.</p><p> </p><p>“Mister Neville Longbottom,” Dobby squeaked, “Dobby is to tell you a message from master Draco sir.”</p><p> </p><p>“A message from Draco?” Neville asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes sir,” Dobby said, he nodded violently, “He is asking you to be meeting him at midnight tomorrow in the tower of the clock Mr Longbottom sir. He be saying that this is so very important.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Got it. Thank you, Dobby.”</p><p> </p><p>The elf disappeared with a crack and Neville waved to Ginny across the room. She abandoned her post at the door and tagged Seamus in her place. The Irish boy sat down opposite Michael Corner, and Ginny approached Neville.</p><p> </p><p>“What was that about?”</p><p> </p><p>“Dobby just showed up with a message for me,” Neville answered.</p><p> </p><p>“Dobby the house-elf?” Ginny asked in alarm.</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded and lowered his voice, “The message was from Malfoy.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny’s eyes widened, “What does he want?”</p><p> </p><p>“To meet me at midnight tomorrow in the clocktower,” Neville answered.</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t seriously be thinking of going,” Ginny said, searching his eyes, “Oh good Godric, you are, aren’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I have to,” Neville whispered, “What if it’s about Nott?”</p><p> </p><p>“What if Nott is dead?” Ginny asked bluntly, “It’s been nearly a month Neville, and we have no idea if Malfoy is under an imperius curse or not. He could have turned; it could be a trap.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville caught her eye, “I know that it could be Gin, but my gut tells me that it isn’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“Will you at least take back-up?” Ginny asked, although she already knew the answer.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can,” Ginny argued.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t want him to think that we don’t trust him,” Neville said, “I’ll go alone and take my chances. If I’m not back within the hour, you can send one person out to look for me, but it can’t be you or Luna. Okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Ginny said, “But I think it’s a suicide mission.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head and smiled at her, “It will be fine, trust me.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Are you sure you don’t want me to be your back-up?” Daphne asked Draco as it neared midnight that evening.</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head, “No, I’m asking him for a favour. I don’t want him to feel like he’s being ambushed or that we don’t trust him.”</p><p> </p><p>“What if <em>he</em> brings back-up?” Pansy asked, watching Draco with concern.</p><p> </p><p>“He won’t,” Draco assured his girlfriend.</p><p> </p><p>“All the same, be careful,” Daphne said.</p><p> </p><p>“I will be,” Draco promised. He smiled at Daphne and pulled Pansy to his side. He leant down and kissed her, “I’ll be back before you know it.”</p><p> </p><p>“You had better be,” Pansy said, placing another kiss on his lips before she let him go.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Last chance. Do you want back-up?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head and holstered his wand, “No, I’ll be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>They stood in front of the door together.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny bit her lip, “Be careful then.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m always careful,” Neville promised her.</p><p> </p><p>“Be extra careful in that case,” Ginny said, her eyes meeting his.</p><p> </p><p>Neville wanted to nod and leave, but he knew that there was a chance that he was walking into a trap. It was that tiny bit of fear and trepidation that made him lean down and capture Ginny’s lips in a kiss. She was surprised after his reaction the last time that they had kissed, but she brought her hand up to the side of his face all the same and deepened the kiss, pushing herself up onto her tiptoes a little because Neville had gotten tall.</p><p> </p><p>Neville pulled away before it could get any more intimate than that because he was well aware of the fact that they were in plain sight.</p><p> </p><p>“Good luck,” Ginny said, smiling at him with slightly flushed cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>Neville shot her a smile and left the room.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Neville stepped into the clocktower and saw Draco immediately. He was sitting on one of the stationery cogs, waiting for Neville.</p><p> </p><p>The Gryffindor boy crossed the room silently and came to a stop in front of Draco. He could instantly tell that something was seriously wrong. Draco looked like a shadow of his former self. He had stubble; he looked scruffy; he had completely let himself go.</p><p> </p><p>Neville raised an eyebrow at the Slytherin, “You look like shit.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco shrugged and pushed himself to his feet, “They can’t hear us up here. It’s too loud.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Makes sense. Why did you go to such lengths to call this meeting?”</p><p> </p><p>“Theo has been in the Dark Tower for almost a month,” Draco said, and he couldn’t hide the desperation in his voice, “I’ve gone over every scenario in my head, and we just can’t get him out of there on our own. I don’t even know if he’s alive, but I have to believe that he is, and I have to try and get him out.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked at the blond man, sympathetically. He remembered Draco and Theo as kids at Draco’s fifth birthday party. Theo had dropped his toy Hippogriff into a lake and Draco had handed over his brand new birthday present just like that. He remembered seeing the two of them board the Hogwarts express together, laughing and jostling at each other. He knew how close the two men were.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re just lost without him, aren’t you?” Neville asked. It wasn’t said in jest, and there was real sympathy in his voice.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked Neville in the eye, “Honestly? Yeah, I am. He’s the real leader. I don’t have it in me. I make all the difficult decisions, but Theo is the one that they respect, the one that they all follow, and he’s my best friend.”</p><p> </p><p>“I get it,” Neville promised, “If it was Harry, I would feel the same. What do you need from me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Manpower, any secret tips on getting into the tower,” Draco said honestly, “Anything, Longbottom. If you know anything, I need to know about it.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville observed the Slytherin for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“And in return,” Draco continued, “We will help you get any supplies that we can. We’re within striking distance of a good potions store, and we can help with food too.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded. He held out his hand, “Deal.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco grasped his hand and shook it firmly, “Thank you, Longbottom.”</p><p> </p><p>“If we’re becoming allies, I reckon it should be Neville and Draco again, don’t you?” Neville asked with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t try and bond with me,” Draco remarked dryly, “I know our Grandparents used to date, but it’s not enough to make us become best friends.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t want to become best friends,” Neville laughed, “But I do think it’s funny that my Grandmother broke up with your Grandfather for being a dick.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco rolled his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Must run in the family,” Neville teased.</p><p> </p><p>Despite himself, Draco did smile a little at that.</p><p> </p><p>“So,” Neville continued, “You need to get Theo out of the Dark Tower.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“I guess we’ll have to create a nice little distraction and keep those Death Eaters on the sixth-floor corridor busy then.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked up in surprise, “Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re on the same side, Draco,” Neville said, patting the other boy on the arm, “It will need to be after curfew tomorrow. Hide on the sixth floor tomorrow and be ready for us to create a distraction at 11 pm sharp. You won’t have long so the moment you see the sign, you get your arse up the stairs then you Accio a couple of broomsticks out of the shed in the grounds and you make an aerial escape. Got it?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “How will we know what the sign is?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smirked, “Trust me, you won’t be able to miss it,” he promised.</p><p> </p><p>Draco just nodded once more.</p><p> </p><p>Neville held out a galleon, “If you need me again, just hold this and say the code word. I have a matching one which will burn, and we’ll meet here at midnight.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked down at the galleon, “What’s the code word?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shot him a grin, “Dumbledore’s Army,” he said as he left the clocktower.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course it is,” Draco said, shaking his head in amusement and slipping the galleon into his pocket.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>At 10.45 pm the following night, Draco stood at the door of the bathroom, “Are we all ready?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne, who was his second in command with Theo gone, stepped forward and nodded, “We’re ready.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded her agreement. Tracey stepped forward too and nodded, “We’re ready.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie,” Draco said, turning to look at her, “You need to stay here. You love him. You can’t stay objective.”</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Sadie objected.</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie-”</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Sadie snapped, “You love him too! If I can’t stay objective, then neither can you! You were losing your mind trying to get him back Draco!”</p><p> </p><p>“She has a point,” Tracey admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, please,” Sadie begged, “I have to go, please.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shot Draco a knowing look. Draco sighed and looked from Sadie to the clock on the wall, “Fine, but if you get hurt or…something else happens, …we warned you.”</p><p> </p><p>“She will be fine,” Daphne said firmly, “She’s a good fighter, you just never give her the chance to show it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then she can show it tonight,” Draco said shortly, “Come on, we <em>need </em>to go now, or we have no chance of helping him.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne nodded and followed him out onto the second-floor corridor with Pansy, Tracey and Sadie in their shadow. They made their way down the empty hallway into the central tower, and Draco turned around.</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie, you can guard the tower-”</p><p> </p><p>“No, Draco,” Sadie said with a shake of her head, “He saved me, and now I’m doing the same for him.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco opened his mouth to object, but Tracey cut in, “I’ll stay here.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco glanced at her, “Are you sure?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m the worst fighter. Put me in the place where we are least likely to encounter the opposition,” Tracey said logically.</p><p> </p><p>“You need to get Theo out of there,” Daphne agreed with a nod, “You and Sadie.”</p><p> </p><p>“Right, come on then you three,” Draco said to Daphne, Pansy and Sadie. The four of them made their way up the central tower as fast as they could. This was the first time that Draco had let Sadie come on a rescue mission, so it was a new experience.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, we need two people to guard this end of the tower,” Draco said when they reached the top of the central tower, “And I’ve got a feeling that little miss perfect is going to refuse.”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, you saved Pansy because you’re in love with her. Aren’t you?” Sadie hissed.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I am,” Draco said, his eyes falling on the girl in question.</p><p> </p><p>“Well I am in love with Theo, and I don’t care if he doesn’t notice me, or have any idea about the way I feel, but I <em>am </em>going in there, and I <em>am </em>going to save him. I will not let him die,” Sadie said intensely, her gaze burning into Draco’s.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, you made your case,” Draco said with a small, almost proud, smile, “Daphne, Pansy; stand guard.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shot Pansy a fond smile and pulled her wand out. Pansy chuckled and pulled out her wand, “Good luck, Sadie.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco turned away from the two girls to look at Sadie, “Come on then, warrior princess.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie didn’t smile; she couldn’t, not when Theo was in danger. She knew that he could be dead up there for all that they knew, but she was trying not to think about that possibility.</p><p> </p><p>They exited the tower and emerged on the sixth-floor corridor. It was swarming with Death Eaters, as they knew it would be. They sheltered behind a suit of armour and waited for Neville’s ‘sign’.</p><p> </p><p>The clock hand on Draco’s watch ticked silently to 11 pm, and a mighty explosion racked the entire floor of the castle.</p><p> </p><p>“That will be the sign,” Draco muttered.</p><p> </p><p>The Death Eaters panicked and ran towards the grand staircase where the noise had come from. Draco grabbed Sadie’s hand, and they ran down the deserted corridor together towards the Dark Tower.</p><p> </p><p>They thought they were safe until they encountered Filch and Mrs Norris on the stairs into the tower. Draco had barely raised his wand when a flash of light flew past him, and Filch and his cat fell to the ground. They both lay stiff as boards, not dead but frozen.</p><p> </p><p>Draco turned to Sadie in surprise. She was holding her wand and glaring at them.</p><p> </p><p>“Petrificus Totalus,” Draco mumbled as he looked at the frozen bodies, “You can do speechless magic, impressive.”</p><p> </p><p>“I told you that I could be useful,” Sadie remarked. She ran up the staircase, and Draco followed her. In seconds they had reached the top of the tower.</p><p> </p><p>“Get Theo, I’ll keep watch,” Draco said, holding his wand at the ready and standing atop the stairs. He was half-expecting a horde of Death Eaters to thunder up them at any moment.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie looked through the windows of the cells until she found Theo in the last one.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo,” Sadie called through the gap in the door.</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie!” A weak voice called back, “Is that you?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s me. I’m going to break you out, stay away from the door,” Sadie called.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie waited for a moment then pointed her wand at the door, “Bombarda!”</p><p> </p><p>There was a small explosion at the base of the door which unhinged the lock. The door then came off its hinges and fell backwards into the cell. Sadie rushed in when the smoke cleared and found Theo sitting on the floor at the back of the cell. He looked exhausted and weak, like he hadn’t eaten for days. But he was alive.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Sadie whispered as she drank in his features, she had genuinely been worried that she might never see him again.</p><p> </p><p>“Me too,” Theo said with a small smile.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie leant forward and caught his lips in a gentle, soft and passionate kiss. After that, he fainted.</p><p> </p><p>“Is he alive?” Draco asked from the corridor.</p><p> </p><p>“Barely,” Sadie replied.</p><p> </p><p>Draco ran into the room and picked his best friend up, “Come on, let’s escape via the roof while Longbottom keeps that lot busy.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie followed him onto the roof.</p><p> </p><p>“Accio broomsticks!”</p><p> </p><p>Two brooms broke out of the shed in the grounds and flew up to them. Sadie jumped on one and Draco got on the other, supporting Theo as he did so. They flew down into the grounds before the Death Eaters could even begin to climb the tower.</p><p> </p><p>They disembarked by the lake, and now that he was out of the tower with its extensive surveillance charms and wards, Draco could use his unique brand of Death Eater magic. He disappeared in a puff of black smoke and reappeared in front of Tracey on the second-floor corridor.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo,” Tracey breathed.</p><p> </p><p>“Get him to safety,” Draco said as he disappeared again.</p><p> </p><p>He went back to the lake and got Sadie. He transported her to the second-floor corridor then he ran up the central tower and yanked Pansy and Daphne away from the ongoing fight between Neville’s band of merry men and the Death Eaters.</p><p> </p><p>They ran as fast as they could back to their bathroom lair, and once they were all safely locked in, Sadie sank to her knees as Theo stopped breathing and everyone scrambled to save him.</p><p> </p><p>She was pushed aside as electric spells were shot at his chest, and Tracey tried mouth to mouth. The world around her blurred and tears stung in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Move,” Daphne shouted, shoving them all out of the way.</p><p> </p><p>She brought her fist down as hard as she could and whacked Theo in the chest so hard that something cracked. Theo spluttered and sucked in a breath.</p><p> </p><p>They all breathed a collective sigh of relief when Tracey announced, “He’s back.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie threw herself into Daphne’s arms and cried while Tracey performed healing charms on Theo, and Draco forced blood replenishing potions down his throat. Pansy mixed regenerative potions and handed them to Tracey. Theo coughed, he tried to reject every potion that was forced down him, but they kept his mouth closed and forced him to drink them.</p><p> </p><p>They sat on the cold, hard bathroom floor all night long in terrified silence praying that he would wake up, and it was the longest night of all of their lives but for no one more than Sadie.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Another Heart Breaks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>“Why hasn’t he woken up?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Tracey whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Sadie asked angrily, “You healed him! You should know!”</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie,” Daphne said. She grabbed her hand, “It’s not Tracey’s fault.”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey frowned down at Theo, “According to all of my diagnostic charms, he is physically fine, but he won’t wake up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Enervate!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo didn’t stir, and Sadie’s eyes filled with tears, “Wake up, Theo! Just wake up goddamn it!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve done everything I can,” Tracey told Draco and Daphne as Pansy hugged Sadie, “It will take a better Healer than me to work out what’s wrong with him.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed and pulled the galleon that Neville had given him out of his pocket. He ran his thumb over it for a moment, “I guess that means I need to call Longbottom.”</p><p> </p><p>He clenched his fist around the coin and said, “Dumbledore’s Army.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Neville frowned when he felt the familiar burning sensation against his leg. He reached into his pocket and pulled the galleon out. It was hot to the touch and the initials, “D.D.M” were emblazed on it.</p><p> </p><p>“Who wants you?” Susan asked conversationally. They were sitting by the door together on guard duty.</p><p> </p><p>“Malfoy,” Neville replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Malfoy?” Susan echoed.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I told him to call me if he ever needed anything,” Neville said. He leant back and frowned, “And from how bad things looked for Theo…I’m going to hazard a guess that they need a decent Healer.”</p><p> </p><p>“You had better take Ginny then,” Susan said. She lowered her voice, “Hannah is my best friend, and I love her, but Ginny is the better Healer.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re right,” Neville agreed. His eyes fell on the redhead in question, “But Hannah is an empathetic Hufflepuff. Ginny is a stubborn Gryffindor. Convincing her to help a Slytherin might take some work.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can help you if you want?” Susan volunteered.</p><p> </p><p>“How?” Neville asked, frowning at his friend.</p><p> </p><p>“I have an idea,” Susan replied cryptically.</p><p> </p><p>Neville took her word for it, “Ginny!”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny turned around across the hall. Neville beckoned her over.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny turned back to Anthony Goldstein and finished what she had been saying to him. Then she crossed the room and sat down opposite Neville, “What’s up?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville held up the galleon.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny frowned, “D.D.M? What’s Malfoy’s middle name?”</p><p> </p><p>“Abraxas. I just put his name down as Draco Dickhead Malfoy,” Neville smirked.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny snorted, “Mature. What does he want this time?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think Theo is injured pretty badly,” Neville replied honestly, “So when we go to meet him at midnight tonight, I’m going to need you to stay objective.”</p><p> </p><p>“This is already a ‘we’ thing, is it?” Ginny asked. She raised an eyebrow, “I don’t get a say in it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Someone’s life needs saving, Gin,” Neville said. His eyes met hers, “Is there really a choice?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course there’s a choice,” Ginny argued, “We could leave the Slytherins to heal their own.”</p><p> </p><p>“And he could die,” Neville said in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t know him, maybe he deserves to,” Ginny said with a shrug, “Boys like that grow into men like Lucius Malfoy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Only if circumstances let them!” Neville snapped, “Good Godric, you and Ron, you’re so pig-headed sometimes, it’s sickening! Your prejudice against Slytherins is just one step too close to <em>their </em>prejudice against Muggles! We are <em>all </em>human, Ginny. We all matter and every life is important!”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny humphed irritably, “Great speech Neville, save it for your election campaign.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t get nasty,” Susan remarked as she waded in, “Neville is right. They are people like us, some of them had terrible upbringings, some of them didn’t. They have siblings who they are trying to protect, and they have people that they love just like we do. Theo is a good person, misguided as hell when it comes to women but he has a good heart, and it would be a crying shame to see a life wasted because of the prejudices your mother instilled into you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you dare insult my mother,” Ginny hissed as she drew her wand.</p><p> </p><p>“Your mother taught you that love has limits so yeah Ginny, I’m going to insult your mother,” Susan said hotly.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh for the love of the founders,” Neville muttered as a duel broke out between the two girls.</p><p> </p><p>This, of course, gathered a crowd who watched eagerly. Seamus grinned and said to Michael Corner, “Nothing like a little bit of girl on girl, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Luna rolled her eyes and stupefied him, “What an idiot.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville bit back an amused smile and turned back to the duel. As much as watching the two of them have the magical equivalent of a catfight was a slight turn on, he also knew that it wasn’t going to do wonders for morale.</p><p> </p><p>“Enough!” Neville said as he walked straight into the middle of the duel. Two beams of magic flew towards him. He lifted his wand and created an impressive double-sided shield. It deflected both beams and disarmed both of the girls at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>“Is that what it’s come to?” Neville roared, “We’ve been in here for two months, and now we’re fighting amongst ourselves, scrabbling for food, picking at every fault we can find in each other? We are friends and allies, united against a common evil, but right now you are all acting like a bunch of petty little children!”</p><p> </p><p>As Neville’s anger peaked, a wave of magic blew around the room. He threw Ginny her wand, “We’re better than this,” he said as his eyes locked on hers.</p><p> </p><p>He threw Susan her wand, “All of us,” he added.</p><p> </p><p>Susan sighed and holstered her wand, “I’m sorry for insulting your mother.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny shook her head and holstered her wand, “No, you were right. I am prejudiced. I’ll come with you Neville; I’ll help him.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled proudly and nodded, “Thanks, Ginny.”</p><p> </p><p>She bowed her head and walked away. Neville took a couple of steps and murmured to Susan, “Did your plan involve duelling her?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I just lost my temper and got a bit carried away,” Susan admitted sheepishly.</p><p> </p><p>Neville chuckled, “I thought so. Do me a favour Susie, never change.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan chuckled weakly and watched him go.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When the clock in the tower struck midnight, Draco snuck out of a secret passageway and weaved his way around the cogs to Neville and Ginny.</p><p> </p><p>“I need your help,” Draco admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“I figured,” Neville remarked.</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t wake Theo up,” Draco said. He kept his eyes down, “The diagnostic charms say he’s fine, but he won’t wake. We’ve tried everything.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny crossed her arms, “I’ll need to see him.”</p><p> </p><p>“I figured you would,” Draco said dryly.</p><p> </p><p>“Is that going to be a problem?” Ginny asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Only if you plan on selling us out to the Carrows,” Draco said, casting his gaze over Ginny suspiciously.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t like you Malfoy, but I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemies,” Ginny said calmly, “So where is my patient?”</p><p> </p><p>“Come with me,” Draco said, “Follow my lead and do not say a word until I tell you that it’s safe to do so.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Lead the way.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“You brought them <em>here</em>?” Daphne barked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“What choice do we have?” Draco snapped, “He’ll die otherwise.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked around at the Slytherins warily, “Can I examine him?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny knelt next to Theo and performed all of the primary diagnostic charms. Like Tracey’s, they all came back with the result that he was fine. Ginny frowned and began doing some more difficult diagnostic charms that assessed things like muscle mass and protein levels.</p><p> </p><p>Then she cast a spell which caused silver lines to appear above Theo’s head. The three wavy lines were all moving slowly, not spiking at all. Ginny cocked her head at the lines.</p><p> </p><p>“What are those?” Daphne asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Brainwaves,” Ginny replied, “They should be spiking, but they aren’t, which means he is in a dream-like state.”</p><p> </p><p>“A coma,” Draco stated.</p><p> </p><p>When Draco spoke, there was a small spike.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny raised an eyebrow, “A coma where he is semi-aware of his surroundings. Are you two close, Malfoy?”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s my best friend,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>Once more, there was another small spike.</p><p> </p><p>“You seem to be able to get through to him,” Ginny said, “Come here and take his hand.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco knelt on Theo’s other side and took his hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Tell him something,” Ginny demanded, “Say that he has to wake up or something like that.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned, “We got you out Theo, and we’re doing everything we can to get you through this. We’re all here for you. We just need you to wake up.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not enough,” Ginny said as Theo’s brainwaves spiked a little, but not high enough, “Is there anyone else who he has a strong connection with?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne snorted, “I’m out.”</p><p> </p><p>“And we’re just friends,” Tracey said.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked at Pansy.</p><p> </p><p>The dark-haired girl frowned, “I doubt I matter much to him.”</p><p> </p><p>Upon her words, his brainwaves spiked, which made Draco frown.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Ginny said, “Come closer and say something to him.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy stepped forward and said, “Theo, you are the fighter here. So that is what you need to do, you need to fight this.”</p><p> </p><p>The spike was much higher than it had been when he heard Draco’s voice. Ginny shook her head, “Still not enough.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>The combination of Draco’s voice and Sadie’s name caused the most substantial spike yet.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded and followed Draco’s line of sight, “Sadie, come and talk to him.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie walked forward, nervously, “I…, I don’t know what to say to him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tell him to fight,” Ginny stated.</p><p> </p><p>“Can he hear us?” Sadie asked. Her eyes on Theo’s pale, thin form.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think so, but his brain is certainly acknowledging what’s going on around him,” Ginny responded.</p><p> </p><p>“So he won’t remember what we say if he wakes up?” Sadie asked.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny shook her head, “I doubt it.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie took Theo’s hand in her own and took a shaky breath, “Theo, you need to wake up. I didn’t spend weeks researching, losing sleep and keeping Draco alive just so that you could die on the floor of a dirty bathroom.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny watched as Theo’s brain showed more activity than it had so far.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t storm into that tower and get you out for you to die, Theo,” Sadie continued tearfully, “I did it because I love you, and you’re too stupid and blind to realise that. I’m not your wingman or your best friend; it’s not my job to remind you what girls you’ve slept with so you can arrange a hook-up. I’m sorry that we fought about that before you were captured, but I stand by what I said.”</p><p> </p><p>She took a shaky breath, and Draco noticed one of Theo’s fingers twitch.</p><p> </p><p>“So you need to wake up, Theo. Because you can’t let the last words, we spoke to each other be angry ones. You can’t do that to us after everything we have been through together. I won’t let you.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny breathed in sharply as the most significant spike yet was recorded. Theo’s eyelids fluttered, and his brain activity changed. The relatively straight line was now bouncing up and down periodically.</p><p> </p><p>“It worked,” Ginny breathed, “Normal brain activity restored.”</p><p> </p><p>“Does that mean he’s going to wake up?” Sadie asked, wiping her eyes and looking up at the redhead.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded. She smiled at Sadie, “His body needs a little longer to recover, but he will wake up. You need to give him a protein potion twice daily. He was practically starved to death in the tower. When he does wake up, it will take a while for his muscle mass and energy levels to go back to normal so look after him, and keep him away from any rescue missions.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Weasley,” Draco said sincerely.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny got to her feet and looked Draco in the eye, “Repay the favour one day, Malfoy. If you come across Harry, show him the same kindness that I just showed your best friend.”</p><p> </p><p>“If I can, I will,” Draco promised.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded, “Come on, Neville. We better get back before another revolution takes place. That lot can’t get through five minutes without you.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled and patted Draco on the back, “That galleon works both ways. If we ever need you, I’ll call.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco bowed his head, “Thanks, Neville.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re all on the same side, Draco,” Neville said simply, “See you around.”</p><p> </p><p>The Gryffindors left the bathroom, and Tracey got to her feet, “I’ll get started on the protein potion. Sadie, stay with him, he seems to respond best to you.”</p><p> </p><p>“And you,” Draco murmured to Pansy, “Why did his brain activity spike when he heard your voice?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Pansy frowned, “I mean we’re friends but…” she trailed off.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve never been anything more?” Draco asked, his eyes searching hers as he tried to determine if she was telling the truth.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course we haven’t,” Pansy said, turning to look at him with a frown, “I’d have told you.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco knew that she was telling the truth, so he nodded, “I guess your friendship must mean more to him than you thought then.”</p><p> </p><p>“I guess so,” Pansy agreed.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Theo woke up two days later, and Sadie had only left his side to shower or go to the toilet.</p><p> </p><p>When he opened his eyes, Sadie gasped and grabbed his hand, “Theo!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo blinked a few times and tried to look at her, his eyes were a bit unfocused at first, “Sadie,” he murmured.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smiled broadly, “You’re awake.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo’s head pounded, and he felt incredibly weak, “How long was I out for?”</p><p> </p><p>“Three days,” Sadie replied, “You nearly died, you would have if it weren’t for Ginny.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ginny?” Theo inquired.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded, “Draco brought Neville and Ginny down here. She’s a great Healer. She used some incredible magic.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo blew out a breath, “I feel terrible.”</p><p> </p><p>“You died, Theo,” Sadie said softly, “Right after we got you back from the tower. Your heart stopped, Daphne restarted it by punching you.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo laughed weakly, “Oh Salazar no, so I’ve got Daphne Greengrass and Ginny Weasley to thank for saving my life?”</p><p> </p><p>“And our Sadie,” Draco said, gripping her shoulders as he came to a stop behind her, “The warrior princess got you out of the tower.”</p><p> </p><p>“We both did,” Sadie corrected him.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Theo said, trying his best to smile at them.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, don’t sweat it,” Draco said with a sly smile, “The two people who love you most saved your arse. That’s what counts, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo would have nodded, but he couldn’t. Instead, he mumbled, “Yeah, I love you guys too.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie let go of his hand as he slipped back to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong?” Draco asked her quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“He loves <em>us</em>,” Sadie said simply, “Not me. He loves us as friends, and that’s all I’ll ever be to him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie-”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie shook her head, “No, Draco. I’m done pretending that we’ll ever be something more than that. This is the point where I give up.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you love him,” Draco stated.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I do,” Sadie agreed, “But we don’t always end up married to the one we love, do we? Look at our parents.”</p><p> </p><p>“We aren’t our parents,” Draco insisted, “And we don’t have to end up like them.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie shrugged, “I’m going to catch up on some sleep. Make sure that Theo gets his next protein potion.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>That December was the least festive of Neville’s life. There were no Christmas trees in the Room of Requirement, and nobody was exchanging gifts for obvious reasons. Everyone was fed up, everyone was homesick, and the holiday season just made it worse.</p><p> </p><p>It was as if the Carrows fed on their misery. Seamus was captured helping some first years out of the dungeons, and he was taken to the tower. It took Neville three days to get him back, and he had been beaten black and blue by the time they got him out.</p><p> </p><p>Neville had always tried to be the one who kept morale up. He believed in Harry wholeheartedly, he gave empowering speeches but truthfully, it was beginning to take its toll on him. He was holding up the entire rebellion, but there was nobody to hold him up.</p><p> </p><p>He sat in the Room of Requirement, his eyes on Ginny as she sat by Seamus’s bedside. He was asleep, and she was dabbing ointment onto his wounds, occasionally taking his temperature but also just holding his hand. She cared so much, she loved with everything she had, and he admired the hell out of her.</p><p> </p><p>“Something on your mind, soldier?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville spun around in alarm. He took a step back in surprise when he saw her standing there, her arms crossed over her chest, her hair up in a bun, her blue eyes sparkling behind her glasses.</p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck are you doing here?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you know, I was just in the neighbourhood,” Lilly shrugged, “Heard there was a rebellion and thought, that sounds right up my street.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Neville said with a shake of his head, “I told you to stay put! I told you to stay in London! This isn’t fucking London, Lilly!”</p><p> </p><p>“Since when do I do what I’m told?” Lilly quipped with a raised eyebrow, “And since when do you get to tell me what to do? Since you became Neville Longbottom, the leader of the revolution? This isn’t Star Wars, and you’re not Hans Solo, you’re not even Luke Skywalker.”</p><p> </p><p>“Lilly, this isn’t a bloody joke,” Neville barked, “This is a war. A war that we have been fighting for months against people who want to kill you for your blood status! But you swan right into the middle of it with your devil-may-care attitude? How stupid are you?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly, Neville! All of my friends are here, you know me, I don’t have friends in the muggle world. Everyone I love, everyone I care about is <em>here,</em> so why should I hide while they fight?” Lilly asked angrily, “This isn’t you being at a school run by Death Eaters, where I would get singled out. You are all in hiding too, if any of you get caught you’ll get killed, so why does it matter if I’m here or not?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because in the Muggle world you stood a chance,” Neville said, his eyes meeting hers, “It’s a big wide world Lilly, but this is a small school, and they run it. Every day, we get more and more outnumbered, and the last thing I need is another mouth to feed, another person to worry about, another friend to lose! You were the one person in my life who was safe, and now you’re here because you’re too bloody headstrong for your own damn good!”</p><p> </p><p>He turned away from her in anger, aware that the entire room had gone silent to listen to their argument. Ginny left her spot by Seamus’s bedside and stood by Neville, she reached down and grabbed his hand then looked up into his eyes, “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Neville muttered, “No, I’m fed up Gin. I don’t know how much longer I can carry the world on my shoulders.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny pushed herself onto her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around him. He let out a shaky breath as she held him tightly.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not easy being in charge,” She murmured, placing a kiss on his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>Neville laughed weakly, “No, it’s not.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly rolled her eyes, “Nobody has asked me how I got here yet by the way. Doesn’t anyone want to know? And also nobody has noticed that Terry is with me, I mean come on! That’s just mean, poor Terry!”</p><p> </p><p>Terry laughed nervously, “I didn’t make such a big entrance, Lil.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly shot an irritated look at Neville’s back and continued, “We got in from Hogsmeade so you guys might want to think about guarding that big tunnel over there? Yeah, that one.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville let go of Ginny and turned to look at the tunnel.</p><p> </p><p>“It didn’t go anywhere, we followed it, and we were met with a brick wall,” Neville remarked.</p><p> </p><p>“Well we got into Hogsmeade then nearly got caught because there was a caterwauling charm, but the landlord of the Hogs Head helped us out,” Lilly explained, “He’s a nice guy, although his barman is this crazy mobster type who calls himself the Irishman. Anyway, we were just thinking about how we needed to get into the school, and then a portrait moved, and the entrance to this tunnel appeared.”</p><p> </p><p>“The Room of Requirement sensed they were in need,” Ginny realised.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Neville said with a nod, “From now on, we need four people on guard duty at any given point. Two on the entrance to that tunnel and two on the main door. Lilly, I want to curse you into oblivion right now, but you’ve been in the outside world for two months, and we desperately need news, so I’m calling an emergency briefing.”</p><p> </p><p>Luna nodded, “Wise call.”</p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” Neville said to Ginny and Luna, “Susan, you’re in charge.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can I give orders?” Susan asked eagerly.</p><p> </p><p>“No, just don’t let any fights break out,” Neville said, looking from her to Ginny in amusement.</p><p> </p><p>Susan laughed and jumped up onto a hammock to watch the room from above.</p><p> </p><p>Neville chuckled and placed his hand on Ginny’s back as they walked towards the briefing area at the end of the room. Lilly frowned at the contact but said nothing, from what she had witnessed she was pretty sure that Neville and Ginny were together.</p><p> </p><p>The briefing area consisted of a few sofas and a blackboard. Neville sat down next to Ginny, very close to her. Luna sat down on an armchair, and Lilly decided to pace.</p><p> </p><p>“So,” Neville said, his eyes on her, “What’s happening out there?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing good,” Lilly replied honestly, “There have been a lot of sightings of you-know-who abroad which has me concerned. Why would he be abroad? I don’t get it, I was trying to put some of the pieces together, but all I can think of is that one of the sightings was in Germany near the home of Gregorovitch.”</p><p> </p><p>“Who?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“A famous wandmaker,” Luna replied, “The German equivalent of Ollivander.”</p><p> </p><p>“And not long after that sighting, he disappeared,” Lilly added, “I have no idea what he wants an expert wandmaker for but whatever his reasons are, it’s not good.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, it’s not,” Neville agreed, “What about Harry? Have you heard anything about him?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny tensed a little at the mention of Harry’s name. Neville noticed, he placed his hand on her leg, and she visibly relaxed.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly frowned and looked out into the Room of Requirement, “He’s definitely still alive, but there have been no sightings which means that Hermione is doing her job and keeping them out of trouble. Some people think he’s left the country, but I don’t think he has. If I know the way Hermione thinks, they will be moving regularly and hiding in plain sight.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded, “Hermione is the brains behind the operation. With her in charge, I doubt they will get caught.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hopefully not, but there is a new enemy out there,” Lilly said, “We ran into them in Hogsmeade.”</p><p> </p><p>“How long have you and Terry been together?” Neville asked Lilly curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re not ‘together’, Neville,” Lilly said with a roll of her eyes, “Terry’s gay.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is he?” Neville asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know, I mean, I think he is. There was this one night in a hostel, but he didn’t seem that into it,” Lilly shrugged, “Maybe it’s just me. Anyway, as I was saying, we were both on the run, and we ran into each other in Essex. We decided that Essex was a shithole, so we hitchhiked up to Scotland. That’s why it took us so long.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why didn’t you just apparate?” Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow at the Ravenclaw.</p><p> </p><p>“Because there are anti-apparition wards up everywhere,” Lilly said with a sigh, “If you apparate into certain areas, you are automatically splinched. We realised that when we first tried to apparate and honestly, I think I’m going to have to be a qualified Healer by the end of this war if everyone in this room is as accident prone as Terry. I’ve had to re-attach four of his fingers already.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny made a face, “We tend to face torture-inflicted injuries and malnutrition here. The Carrows take cruel to a new level.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly sank into one of the sofas, “I’ve met a few like them. In the outside world, they call them Snatchers and they hunt down anyone deemed undesirable then bring them into the Ministry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Undesirable, meaning?”</p><p> </p><p>“Muggles, Muggle-borns, people who have ever said something nice about Harry Potter,” Lilly rattled off, “You get the gist. Use of the imperius curse is on the rise out there too; you can’t trust anyone.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not too bad in here,” Neville said quietly, “But in-fighting is becoming quite the problem.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course it is,” Lilly said thoughtfully, “It’s like with dragons, isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville hid an amused smile, “Dragons?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm,” Luna agreed, “Dragons.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked over at Neville, “Do you have any idea what those two are talking about?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope,” Neville answered.</p><p> </p><p>“You take Hungarian Horntails, Welsh Greens and Hebridean Blacks and put them all in cages, but keep them to their species, right?” Lilly explained, “They do fine. They get a bit antsy because they are in captivity, but they breed, they carry on with their life.”</p><p> </p><p>Luna nodded solemnly while Neville and Ginny looked at Lilly like she was mad.</p><p> </p><p>“But then you do something crazy,” Lilly continued, “You take all three breeds of dragon and throw them into an enclosure together, and to make matters worse, it’s smaller. That’s when shit kicks off. Your Hungarian Horntails automatically climb to the top in the initial power struggle because they are strong and independent. Your Welsh Greens fall in line, but they fight with the Horntails when the food starts to run low. Then you have your Hebridean Blacks, the smartest dragons around. They try and find a way out, but there is no way out, no safe way anyway. The whole thing, it’s a massive power struggle, all the dragons' fight, and they all die out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why are the Ravenclaw dragons the heroes of the story?” Neville asked, raising an eyebrow at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Because Hebridean Blacks are awesome, just like Ravenclaws,” Lilly smirked.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, so what is the moral of the story?” Ginny asked.</p><p> </p><p>“The moral of the story is this; you guys take on what you’re good at and leave everyone else to what they are good at,” Lilly said simply, “Neville, Ginny, you guys are Gryffindors so raids, fighting, leading from the front that is your thing. But let’s face it when it comes to food? That should be up to the Hufflepuffs. They know the lay of the land, and they are good at sneaking around unnoticed. Guard duty? It’s dull, but it requires concentration, so leave that up to your Ravenclaws. When it comes to strategy meetings, make sure you have a representative from every house.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville frowned at her as she talked. Everything she said made perfect sense.</p><p> </p><p>“Because you’re right Neville, this is a war,” Lilly finished, “And you’re a damn good soldier, but you need to start thinking like a general. You put your soldiers in the right place at the right time, and everything will start slotting together quite nicely.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled and got to his feet, “I’ve missed you,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her, “I’m so bloody angry that you came here and there’s no way I’m letting you out of this room unless I can help it, but I’ve missed you, Lilly.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly hugged him back, “Yeah, I’ve missed you too Nev,” she said as she drew back from the hug, “But I’m here now, so put me to work.”</p><p> </p><p>“You want specialities? Here’s yours; healing,” Neville said instantly, “You’re not a fighter, I won’t let you go out there. You can stay, but you stay in the Room of Requirement. Got it?”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly rolled her eyes, “Got it. But I need to re-organise the hell out of that hospital wing and also, do we have <em>any </em>Slytherins on our side because I thought Daphne, Sadie and Tracey would fight with the light.”</p><p> </p><p>“They are on our side, but they are fighting their own battle,” Neville said honestly, “They have a hideout somewhere else in the school. It seems to be run by Malfoy and Nott, and we do work with them on occasion, but they are doing their thing, and we are doing our thing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well that’s fine, as long as someone can steal me some vital potion ingredients,” Lilly said as she bounced on the heels of her feet, “I’ll brew up a multi-purpose potion that can be spelled for specific ailments. Then we’ll get this place tidied up. It needs to be colour coded so that when we get patients in, we can prioritise them to make sure the worst off get treated first. I’ll get right on it, General Longbottom.”</p><p> </p><p>She then saluted him and pranced off.</p><p> </p><p>“She’s been here five minutes, and she’s re-organising my hospital wing?” Ginny asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked sheepish, “Uh well…I’m going to go and re-think the roster after what Lilly said. I’ll see you later, Gin.”</p><p> </p><p>“Coward,” Ginny muttered as he walked away.</p><p> </p><p>Luna cocked her head at Neville’s retreating form, “He’s confused.”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s he confused about, exactly?”</p><p> </p><p>“Lots of things,” Luna remarked, “His head is so full of thoughts that the Nargles won’t go anywhere near him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Any idea what those thoughts are?” Ginny asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, he likes you,” Luna said dreamily, “He likes you sexually, I can tell from his body language, but he likes Lilly too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sexually?” Ginny asked. She raised an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>Luna shook her head, “No, it’s something different. I don’t know what, but he feels torn between what you want and what she wants.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny frowned as Neville stopped and started to talk to Terry. He smiled and shook his hand, and Ginny found herself smiling too.</p><p> </p><p>“You want him too,” Luna said in that same dreamy tone, “Sexually.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes Luna, I know I do,” Ginny said, shooting her friend an amused look as she followed Lilly over to the hospital wing to assess the damage.</p><p>
  
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  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ * </strong>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. My Affection, It Comes and Goes</h2></a>
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  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>As December wore on, the Carrows got nastier. The consequences of being caught became such that people were terrified to sneak out to get food or supplies, which was precisely the kind of atmosphere that they wanted to create amongst the rebels. If they couldn’t catch them then at the very least, they could force them to starve to death.</p><p> </p><p>The sudden change in tactics was because there had been a death. One of the Hufflepuff’s, Leanne, had been sneaking out to try and find her friend so that she could bring her into the Room of Requirement. She had gone out by herself, without informing Neville, Ginny or Luna, and she had been caught. The Carrows had tortured her, and she had died. Those who knew her suspected it had something to do with an underlying heart condition that she had, but the Carrows said that they had done it on purpose to send a message.</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t know what had happened to Leanne’s body, but they couldn’t risk a trip to the tower to retrieve it. Getting in and out of the tower was proving much harder, which was why they only did it when it was necessary.</p><p> </p><p>After Leanne’s death, they lost some people. A few of the rebels surrendered and left the Room of Requirement. It reduced their number significantly, but it also meant that feeding people would be that little bit easier.</p><p> </p><p>The biggest shock that came to them all was Luna. She stepped forward after the mass surrender and said, “I need to go too.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny frowned, “But Luna…”</p><p> </p><p>“I need to go home,” Luna said, casting her eyes down, “I don’t know if Daddy is okay without me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Luna, surrendering is bad enough,” Neville said in disbelief, “They might kill you just because they suspect that you are one of the leaders.”</p><p> </p><p>Luna shook her head, “They promised that they would not hurt anyone who surrenders. I just need to play the victim then I can go home for Christmas.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked at Neville. The tall man sighed and caught Ginny’s eye. They had a conversation in that split-second. Ginny’s eyes told him all that he needed to know, Luna had to go.</p><p> </p><p>Neville turned back to the Ravenclaw and nodded, “We understand.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny walked forward and hugged her, “But be careful,” she said, kissing her friend on the cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“Stay alert,” Neville agreed. He pulled her into a hug, “And come back to us, if you can.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will,” Luna promised. She holstered her wand and smiled sadly at them then she left the Room of Requirement.</p><p> </p><p>“And just like that, we’re down a leader,” Neville said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny took his hand and laced her fingers through his, “At least we have Lilly. She can be our logical, cool, calm thinker in Luna’s place.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked over at the hospital wing and caught Lilly’s eye.</p><p> </p><p>She smiled and waved over at him. Neville found himself smiling back, “Yeah,” he agreed, “At least we have Lilly.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ SOMEWHERE IN WALES  ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>20<sup>th</sup> December 1997</em>
</p><p>
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  </strong>
</p><p>Hermione could feel Harry’s eyes on her. She was sitting at the kitchen table in one of his shirts, it was loosely buttoned up, but she didn’t care that much. They had gotten comfortable with each other’s bodies over the past two months. They had shared a bed every night, sometimes that had led to more, and sometimes it had just been for comfort.</p><p> </p><p>She looked up from her battered old copy of “<em>The Tales of Beedle the Bard”</em> and caught his eye. The softness there made her heart ache. Hermione sighed and said, “Don’t look at me like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like what?” Harry asked cluelessly.</p><p> </p><p>“Like I’m your everything,” Hermione whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“You are,” Harry said simply.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I’m not,” Hermione said, “I <em>can’t </em>be. You think this is love, Harry but that’s just an illusion you’re under because you’re lonely. This would never have happened if we hadn’t been on the run together, spending days on end together, just the two of us. If this was real life, you would be with Ginny and I would be with...” she swallowed.</p><p> </p><p>“But this <em>is</em> real life, and neither of them are here,” Harry argued.</p><p> </p><p>“Ginny isn’t here because you wouldn’t let her come, for her own protection,” Hermione said sternly.</p><p> </p><p>“Ginny isn’t here because she has the trace on her,” Harry pointed out, “She would have been a hazard to all of us.”</p><p> </p><p>“So you lied to her?” Hermione asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I didn’t want her here. I figured she would be safer the further away from me that she is,” Harry said honestly, “But that wasn’t the only reason I didn’t let her come.”</p><p> </p><p>“But what about-”</p><p> </p><p>“He left us,” Harry finished, “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what other way you could plan on ending that sentence.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione shut her mouth and looked down at her book once more. She frowned at the paragraph she was trying to read and looked up at him, “What if he comes back?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry met her eyes, “I don’t know. The ball is in your court there, Hermione. What happens when he comes back?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>If,</em>” Hermione corrected him.</p><p> </p><p>“Still, what happens?” Harry said, pressing her for an answer.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Hermione confessed, she looked torn between her feelings for the two best friends.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it I guess,” Harry said with a shrug.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>If</em> we come to it,” Hermione added. She looked at him for a moment longer, “I know it feels like love, Harry. If we survive this and it still feels that way once it’s all over, then, of course, we will talk about it.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked up hopefully at those words, but then he saw the pain in Hermione’s eyes, “But I don’t think it will,” she said tearfully, “I don’t think it will feel like love for either of us.”</p><p> </p><p>“I get the hint, Hermione,” Harry said irritably, stalking out of the tent to gather some more wood for the campfire, despite the pile in the corner of the tent.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Luna’s departure and the mass surrender culminated in morale dipping lower than ever. It was hard to keep up to date with what day it was, let alone the date but it was getting very close to Christmas when Ginny found herself trapped in the dungeons. The Carrows hadn’t gotten to her yet, because if they had, she would be dead.</p><p> </p><p>She had been caught by Crabbe and Goyle who had been having great fun using the cruciatus curse on her and casting burning charms on her clothes, to the point that she was virtually naked by the time someone found her.</p><p> </p><p>Two whispered, “Stupefy’s” were fired into the dungeon. Crabbe and Goyle fell with loud thumps, and Draco slipped into the room, followed by Daphne.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Daphne asked. She knelt next to the redhead.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny pushed herself up, “I’m fine.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne mumbled, “Reparo” and repaired Ginny’s clothes.</p><p> </p><p>“Did they do anything to you?” Daphne asked, her eyes filled with genuine concern.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny shook her head, “No, but I’m glad you got here when you did.”</p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” Draco said, “The Carrows will be back in the castle soon.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Malfoy,” Ginny said gratefully.</p><p> </p><p>These little rendezvous’ with the Slytherins had become more and more frequent as of late.</p><p> </p><p>“Get back to the hideout, Draco,” Daphne whispered, “I’ll make sure Ginny gets close to where she needs to be.”</p><p> </p><p>“Use the passageways and stay hidden,” Draco said, looking at his friend.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, I will,” Daphne said.</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded and disappeared in a puff of black magic.</p><p> </p><p>“Wouldn’t it be great if we could all do that?” Daphne asked, shooting Ginny an amused look.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny smiled weakly, “I can get back on my own you know-”</p><p> </p><p>“I’d feel better if I got you to the fifth floor, at least,” Daphne said softly, “You were treated pretty badly in there.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny wanted to say that she could do it alone, but she was exhausted. She sighed and nodded, “The fifth floor then we go our separate ways,” she agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on then,” Daphne said, holding out her hand to Ginny.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked at it for a second; trusting Slytherins was something that did not come easily to her.</p><p> </p><p>A noise outside made her jump, and she grabbed Daphne’s hand. They slipped through the entrance hall together, and Ginny followed Daphne through secret passageway after secret passageway. There were some that she knew of, and others that she hadn’t even known existed. It was all going well until the fourth floor where they nearly ran into two Death Eaters on patrol.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne acted quickly and dragged Ginny into a broom closet. Daphne brought her finger up and held it against Ginny’s lips as the footsteps got closer to the door. They both held their breath. The steps stopped, and Daphne shut her eyes, grimacing.</p><p> </p><p>After a split second, the footsteps began to move away from them. Daphne blew out a sigh of relief and opened her eyes. Ginny was very wide-eyed too. Her heart was beating quickly, and Daphne could hear it thumping in the small space.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny let out a shaky breath and Daphne absentmindedly wiped away a spot of blood next to her lip. Ginny’s breath caught, and Daphne looked up, catching her eye. She had absolutely no idea what made her do it, call it reckless curiosity. They were in the middle of a war, why the hell not?</p><p> </p><p>She moved her hand to Ginny’s cheek and closed the distance between them in the small space, capturing Ginny’s lips with her own. The younger girl gasped in surprise against Daphne’s lips, but Daphne took advantage of that accidental parting of her lips by running her tongue along Ginny’s lower lip. Ginny sighed into the kiss and Daphne smirked, deepening the kiss by slipping her tongue into the redhead's mouth.</p><p> </p><p>After overcoming the initial shock, Ginny brought her hands up and lost them in Daphne’s incredibly soft, Veela-like hair. It was just a kiss, a perfect, very heated kiss but their bodies were still at least an inch apart. That was until Daphne took one step forward so that the space between them was non-existent.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny automatically leant into Daphne; their bodies were hot against each other. They could both feel the other's heart thumping fast in their chest.</p><p> </p><p>Although Daphne could have quite happily taken things a little further, she broke the kiss and raised an eyebrow at Ginny, “As nice as that was, I don’t want to suffer the wrath of Harry Potter when he finds out that I made out with his girlfriend.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not his girlfriend,” Ginny said breathily, glancing down awkwardly.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smirked, “Right, well I need to get back to my secret lair, and you need to get back to yours so…rain-check?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny cleared her throat, “Oh no… I mean I’m not Harry’s girlfriend, but I’m not…that was just a one-time thing. I don’t kiss girls.”</p><p> </p><p>“Neither do I,” Daphne said, she reached for the door handle, “You’re my first, Weaslette.”</p><p> </p><p>With a wink, she disappeared, and Ginny hit her head against the wall in disbelief, “What the fuck is wrong with me?” she muttered, shaking her head and leaving the broom closet.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Daphne, you’re whistling.”</p><p> </p><p>From inside the shower cubicle, Daphne said, “And?”</p><p> </p><p>“And you whistle when you’re happy,” Tracey remarked. Tracey leant against the bathroom stall as Daphne whistled in the shower, “Who did you shag?”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t shag anyone. Pass me the shampoo.”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey handed it over the wall.</p><p> </p><p>“I did make out with someone in a broom cupboard, and it was raunchy enough to take the edge off,” Daphne confessed.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey snorted, “Who was it?”</p><p> </p><p>“You will never guess,” Daphne said mischievously.</p><p> </p><p>“Longbottom?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne scoffed, “Longbottom? Oh, Salazar, no. I think it was worse, actually.”</p><p> </p><p>“Worse than Longbottom?” Tracey asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Daphne said. She turned the shower off and stepped out of the stall wrapped in a towel, “I made out with Ginny Weasley.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ginny Weasley?” Tracey queried.</p><p> </p><p>“Ginny Weasley,” Daphne said with an amused grin, “Ginny <em>Weasley</em>. I mean I can see why the boys like her, she is a good kisser.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh great, so you’re a lesbian now?” Tracey quipped, “You’re so desperate for some that you’re getting it from girls too?”</p><p> </p><p>“Did I hear someone say lesbian?” Theo asked as he popped out of the boys' cubicle area in a towel.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, Daphne is batting for the other team now,” Tracey remarked.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne rolled her eyes, “Hardly, I kissed one girl.”</p><p> </p><p>“You kissed Ginny Weasley, and described it as raunchy,” Tracey added.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I see the memory?” Theo asked eagerly.</p><p> </p><p>“No, Theo,” Daphne said airily, “Although it’s nice to see that your near-death experience hasn’t made you any less pervy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you use tongue-”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne stepped into her ‘bedroom’ and threw up a silencing charm. She threw herself down on the bed and thought back to that kiss.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” She muttered to herself, “I’m not having a sexual identity crisis over Ginny Weasley. I’m straight; I like guys. I love guys. I love having sex with guys. I need a guy to have sex with.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not even going to ask,” Pansy chuckled from the bunk above hers.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Things look bad for Neville,” Draco said quietly one night.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne looked up. He was sitting at the desk, wearing Sadie’s glasses again and perusing some old newspapers. She had been sitting on a sofa, using her wand to carve shapes out of chunks of woods so that she could give them to the others for Christmas.</p><p> </p><p>“How so?”</p><p> </p><p>“I spoke to the Baron today,” Draco replied, “There was a mass surrender after that girl died.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think the Carrows did it on purpose?” Daphne asked, “Is that the level of cruel they have reached?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head, “She had a heart attack, but the Carrows are spinning it to their advantage. They lost one of their core people too, Lovegood surrendered.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s like us losing Blaise,” Daphne said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “Morale must be lower than ever up there.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not exactly high down here,” Daphne pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“I know, and things are just as bad outside,” Draco said, “Snatchers are catching people everywhere and handing them over to the Ministry or in some cases, to the Dark Lord himself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think they’ve found Potter?” Daphne asked.</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head, “If they found Potter, they would put his head on a spike somewhere or his body on a crucifix. They would make a point of showing us that the hero who is meant to be saving us all, is dead.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne raised an eyebrow, “Wow Draco, you just called Potter a hero and didn’t sound bitter about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“My feud with Potter hardly seems to matter now,” Draco said honestly, “Not with everything that’s going on. It’s only going to get worse with students going home for Christmas. Within these walls, they are relatively safe but the likes of Lovegood? She’s a known associate of Potters, a much worse Death Eater could snatch her off the train.”</p><p> </p><p>“Going home was her choice, and it was a crazy one,” Daphne reminded Draco, “None of us are going home, it’s too risky.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded. He and Theo had ignored the mark three times now. Their arms always bore burn marks or blisters, thankfully Tracey had created a very soothing cream which helped. He and Theo both knew that going home would be suicide now, and they must have both been earmarked for the Dark Lords particular brand of slow, painful death.</p><p> </p><p>“Try and cheer up Draco,” Daphne said. She crossed the room and took Sadie’s glasses off of his face, “And admit that you need reading glasses.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco scoffed, “I don’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“You wear Sadie’s glasses every night while you’re hunched over that desk,” Daphne said with a knowing look.</p><p> </p><p>“My eyes are just tired because I don’t sleep much and the lighting in here is terrible,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re an excellent liar, but I know your tells,” Daphne said, “Why won’t you admit that you need glasses?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco raised an eyebrow at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Is this all because you don’t want to be like Potter?” Daphne asked, amusement finding its way into her voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I don’t want to be like the specky idiot, but that’s not what this is about,” Draco lied.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled slightly, “Stop being so silly. You can’t spend the rest of your life stealing peoples glasses because you don’t want to be like your schoolboy nemesis. Anyway, I think you look kind of cute in them.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco laughed, “Thanks.”</p><p> </p><p>She kissed him on the cheek, “Brighten up. It’s Christmas Eve.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a far cry from last Christmas Eve,” Draco said, a frown forming on his face, “You and I were happy then.”</p><p> </p><p>“Happy is a relative term,” Daphne shrugged, “You had already started to push me away.”</p><p> </p><p>“But we had a good Christmas, didn’t we?” Draco asked, a fond smile playing on his lips, “You and I in that secret room in your house, just with blankets and butterbeer and…”</p><p> </p><p>“Sex?” Daphne quipped. She raised an eyebrow, “If it’s sex you want, you have a girlfriend,” she reminded him.</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Draco said, his eyes lingering on the curtain into the girls sleeping area, “But it was different with you. Don’t ask me how, but it was. Maybe it was just because I was your first, and you were mine, but it…” he trailed off and frowned, “It was different.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed and got to her feet, “It was great while it lasted, but that…it feels like a lifetime ago Draco. So much has changed since then, I’ve changed, and you’ve changed. We could never get that back. I think you know that deep down.”</p><p> </p><p>“I do,” Draco admitted, “And I love Pansy, I really do. I just…I still miss you sometimes.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled at that, “Well it’s a good thing that I’m right here then. Isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco smiled too, “I suppose it is. Goodnight, Daphne.”</p><p> </p><p>“Goodnight, Draco.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>It was Christmas Eve. They only knew that because of the calendar on the wall. There were no cards, no tree, no gifts, and no Christmas spirit in the Room of Requirement.</p><p> </p><p>After Lilly’s arrival two weeks ago, Neville had started to go through the tunnel into Hogsmeade every so often. He gathered supplies but only very little at a time so that he didn’t arouse suspicion. He had started to get to know the landlord, Aberforth Dumbledore. He saw what Lilly meant about his barman/bodyguard ‘The Irishman’. He was a bit unhinged, and Neville could hardly ever understand what he was saying through his thick accent.</p><p> </p><p>On Christmas Eve, Neville and Ginny went through the tunnel together. They were gathering a few more supplies than usual because they wanted to try and prepare something akin to a Christmas feast to raise morale.</p><p> </p><p>Aberforth, who they had come to know as Abe, was entirely on board with their plan. When they got to the Hogs Head, Aberforth told them to go into the back and take what they needed. The Irishman nodded curtly at them. He was a very sinister-looking man with unruly, long brown hair and a very untidy beard.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Neville asked Ginny while they gathered supplies from the storeroom, “You’ve been kind of quiet since you got back yesterday. Did they do something to you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing more than I told you about,” Ginny said honestly, but she couldn’t stop thinking about that damn kiss.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s up then?” Neville asked. He grabbed her wrist.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny sighed and looked up at him, “What if I’m a lesbian?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville raised an eyebrow at her, “Then I’ll love you all the same. You know what Pip says in Great Expectations, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, no,” Ginny frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“He loves against reason, promise, peace, hope, happiness and discouragement,” Neville said, his eyes meeting hers, “And that’s the way love should be.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s deep,” Ginny said, her eyes glued on his.</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled, “Why the sudden sexual identity crisis, Gin?”</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne Greengrass snogged me in a broom closet, and it was…” Ginny’s cheeks flushed.</p><p> </p><p>“It was, what?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hot,” Ginny blushed, “That’s the only word for it.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville grinned, “In all fairness, I think Daphne Greengrass could turn any girl. She’s bloody stunning.”</p><p> </p><p>“And a really good kisser,” Ginny mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>Neville couldn’t help the slight laugh that slipped out.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not funny, Neville! What if I’m a lesbian?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville grinned at her, “You’re not.”</p><p> </p><p>“How do you know?”</p><p> </p><p>“I just do,” Neville chuckled. His hand was still on her wrist, so he pulled her closer and captured her lips in a kiss. She automatically leaned into him and brought her arms up, wrapping them around his neck.</p><p> </p><p>Neville dropped the canvas bag that he had been holding and lifted Ginny, pressing her against the concrete back wall of the store cupboard. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled his body in close to hers. She ran her tongue along his lip, and he opened his mouth to grant her access. She tightened her grip on his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.</p><p> </p><p>Neville lifted her very slightly, just enough for her to feel his arousal through his jeans. Ginny moaned involuntarily against his lips, and Neville smiled. He broke the kiss and moved his mouth to her neck, “This is how I know.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny threw her head back and gripped Neville tighter. He held her up with one hand and ran the other under her jumper, slipping it under her bra and running his fingers over her nipples.</p><p> </p><p>“Neville,” Ginny moaned.</p><p> </p><p>Neville moved his lips to hers once more, “Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Stop being noble and fuck me already,” Ginny said as she squirmed at his touch.</p><p> </p><p>Neville grinned against her lips, “Still think you’re a lesbian?” he asked, pressing his erection against her.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Ginny gasped, “Stop being smug.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville flicked his fingers over her nipple, making her moan loudly.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop being noble.”</p><p> </p><p>He did it again, and she moaned even louder that time.</p><p> </p><p>“And just,” Ginny gasped when he slipped his hands underneath the waistband of her jeans, “fuck me, please.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry,” He murmured against her neck, “I was planning to.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny captured his lips again, and after that, it was fast and hurried. They were in a supply cupboard in the back room of a pub after all. But they both had needs, and they couldn’t fulfil them in the Room of Requirement where they had absolutely no privacy.</p><p> </p><p>It was by no stretch of the imagination romantic. It was about relief. They both needed to relieve pressure, and because of that, it was hurried and rough, but satisfying.</p><p> </p><p>Neville felt awful about it afterwards. They gathered all of the supplies together in an awkward silence then left the storeroom. The Irish barman raised an eyebrow at them, “Wanna keep it down next time? We’ll get noise complaints.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh God,” Ginny muttered, and she dashed up the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head, “I just slept with one of my closest friends girlfriend. He’s saving the world and I…”</p><p> </p><p>“Shagged his girl in a store cupboard,” The barman said, “You’re a shit friend.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“Here,” He said.</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked up at the half-empty bottle of firewhiskey, “What’s that for?”</p><p> </p><p>“Drowning your sorrows,” The Irishman said, “You fucked your friend's girl, you’ll need it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks,” Neville said dryly, but he took the bottle and followed Ginny up the stairs anyway.</p><p> </p><p>They walked back to the Room of Requirement in silence, and when they got back, they separated. Ginny took the food away to sort through it, and Neville sank into a seat in the briefing area. He let his head drop into his hands as the guilt well and truly kicked in.</p><p> </p><p>“What did you do, Neville?”</p><p> </p><p>“Why do you assume I did something?” Neville asked irritably.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly sat down next to him, “What did you do?” she asked again.</p><p> </p><p>Neville groaned, “I just did something very reckless with someone I care about.”</p><p> </p><p>“You shagged Ginny,” Lilly said bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked up at her, “Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“You shagged Harry’s girlfriend?” Lilly continued, “The same Harry who asked you to look after Ginny before we all left school last year?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville threw himself back onto the sofa and looked up at the roof, “Yes, but they aren’t together. Ginny is adamant that she’s not his girlfriend and she’s kind of bitter that he went on the run without her.”</p><p> </p><p>“She has the trace on her, she’s not 17 yet,” Lilly pointed out, “He couldn’t have taken her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh god, she’s 16,” Neville despaired, “She’s not even legal.”</p><p> </p><p>“Congratulations, you’re a criminal now,” Lilly remarked sarcastically.</p><p> </p><p>Neville groaned.</p><p> </p><p>“But to be fair so is Harry Potter, and Michael Corner, oh and Dean Thomas,” Lilly shrugged, “She likes older guys, I guess.”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s mature,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>“And hot,” Lilly added.</p><p> </p><p>“Lil-” Neville groaned.</p><p> </p><p>“She’s hot. I’m a girl, and I can admit that. You just screwed her, so you obviously think that,” Lilly remarked.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, she’s hot,” Neville agreed grudgingly.</p><p> </p><p>“But you’re going to have to prepare one hell of an apology for Harry,” Lilly said pointedly, “Should I just start writing your eulogy?”</p><p> </p><p>“Lil,” Neville sighed, “I feel like I’ve betrayed Harry. I started to think that people look up to me. Leading this thing this year, I thought that people could respect me but…I’ve let myself down.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you have,” Lilly agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t think with my head,” Neville added, “And she goaded me on, but I shouldn’t have bitten.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a guy, Neville,” Lilly said. She pushed herself to her feet, “You thought with your dick. Learn from it and don’t do it again. Otherwise, I don’t think I will ever be able to see you the same way again.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked up at her, guiltily, “Do you think Harry will forgive me?”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly shrugged, she leant against the blackboard, “Only time will tell, I guess.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded and sighed, “Merry fucking Christmas, right?” he muttered as he stalked towards his hammock.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, it’s a real doozy,” Lilly muttered as she headed back in the direction of the hospital wing.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ SOMEWHERE ON THE EAST COAST ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>25<sup>th</sup> December 1997</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Harry, please,” Hermione sobbed while Harry lay in a pile, convulsing in the bunk beds that they shared.</p><p> </p><p>“Please don’t die,” Hermione begged, she buried her head in Harry’s chest, “Please, Harry, I can’t lose you. Not after Ron left and…I can’t lose anyone else. I just can’t. You can get through this; you have to get through this.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry was acting like he was possessed. He threw her off with strength she hadn’t known that he had possessed. His eyes rolled back into his head, and Hermione bit her lip anxiously.</p><p> </p><p>The snake bite on his arm was still oozing so Hermione grimaced. She grabbed his arm and cast a charm that made him scream in pain. It stopped the poison from entering his bloodstream, and a second charm extracted the venom from the wound.</p><p> </p><p>When it was done, all Hermione could do was tend to the wound with dittany and try to keep him cool.</p><p> </p><p>She sat by his bedside for hours, never leaving despite how much he yelled, thrashed and cursed at her. She dabbed dittany onto the wound, but he still looked deathly ill.</p><p> </p><p>“You have to beat this Harry,” Hermione whispered tearfully, “You’ve beaten so much, you can get past this stupid snake bite that I can’t even bloody heal! Smartest witch of my age? Hardly, I can’t even heal a snake bite to save my best friend!” she angrily kicked the base of the bunk bed then flopped down onto the floor.</p><p> </p><p>She let her head fall into her hands and whispered, “God, Harry, you terrify me. The way I feel about you terrifies me. I would literally die for you. That’s not a normal way to feel about another person who isn’t…who is just a friend.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry shifted slightly. The thrashing had stopped now, he just seemed to be asleep.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione sighed, “You need to wake up Harry. I need you. Ron needs you and…Ginny, she needs you, and you love her. Of course, you love her; she’s Ginny, who wouldn’t love her? I’m just your best friend. I’ve only ever been the best friend.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry squeezed her hand, “You’ve always been more than the best friend Mione,” he whispered before another seizure took hold, and he cried out in pain.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Mione?”</p><p> </p><p>“Harry!” Hermione gasped, “Oh my god, you’re awake! I thought…I thought I was going to lose you.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry smiled weakly, “I didn’t survive You-Know-Who all these years just to get killed by his snake.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione held out a plastic tumbler of water, and her hands shook as she helped him drink from it. She sat down on the edge of his bed and just stared at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” He asked.</p><p> </p><p>She laughed weakly, “You nearly died.”</p><p> </p><p>Tears filled Hermione’s eyes upon those words, “You nearly died, and you’re asking me if I’m alright?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry reached up and touched her cheek, “You’ve been crying.”</p><p> </p><p>“You nearly died,” Hermione said again, her eyes meeting his.</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t often initiate their ‘encounters’, but on this occasion, it was Hermione who captured Harry’s lips in a kiss. It wasn’t like their usual, hurried kisses. It was slow, she was testing the waters as she kissed him gently. Harry returned the kiss, his hand still on the side of her face.</p><p> </p><p>When Hermione drew back, she had fresh tears on her cheeks, “You were unconscious for hours, Harry. You were ill…quite ill.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked up at her, “I had a nightmare, about Voldemort. Or I was in his head, I don’t know,” he shook his head to shake the memory away, “But it was…unpleasant.”</p><p> </p><p>“I was worried sick,” Hermione admitted, “I think I managed to get the venom out of your arm where the snake bit you. I’ve been cleaning it with dittany.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry nodded and pushed himself up tentatively.</p><p> </p><p>“How do you feel?” She asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Sore,” Harry replied.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not surprised,” Hermione said. She didn’t take her hand out of his, “I couldn’t get the Horcrux off of you, it burned you.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry pulled his t-shirt away and looked down at the burn mark on his chest, “Where is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“In the bag,” Hermione answered, “You seemed…possessed last night, Harry. I thought it was best if we didn’t wear it for a while.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry nodded his agreement and let his head rest on the pillow once more as a wave of nausea hit him.</p><p> </p><p>“What happened in there?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry sighed and filled Hermione in on what had happened in Bathilda’s house. She had been revolted to learn that the snake had been inside Bathilda, and reliving the whole thing made Harry felt incredibly uneasy.</p><p> </p><p>He threw the covers back, and Hermione cried, “Harry, no! You need to rest, you nearly died!”</p><p> </p><p>Harry sighed, “I can’t rest, Hermione. You ought to rest because – no offence – but you look terrible.”</p><p> </p><p>“This is the thanks I get for saving your life?” Hermione asked, lowly.</p><p> </p><p>Harry sighed under his breath, “Where’s my wand?”</p><p> </p><p>“Harry-”</p><p> </p><p>“Where’s my wand, Hermione?” Harry asked, wary of the look in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>She bit her lip, tears swam in her eyes as she looked at him. Harry followed her gaze and his heart sank when he saw his wand, neatly snapped in two.</p><p> </p><p>How was he going to win the war now? He couldn’t, not without his wand, the wand that was linked to Voldemort…</p><p> </p><p>“Mend it, please.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione tried, but Harry couldn’t even use ‘Lumos’. He was infuriated, even though his rational brain told him that it wasn’t Hermione’s fault. Still, he knew that he had to get away from her, or he would end up taking his fury out on his best friend, and he would regret it.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione was still crying when she handed Harry her wand, and he stalked outside to keep watch and calm himself down in the process.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>25<sup>th</sup> December 1997</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Neville woke early on Christmas morning. He jumped down from his hammock and pulled on a cardigan then walked over to one of the large bay windows. He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked out at the snow, falling thick and fast in the grounds. His thoughts went to Luna; he hoped that she would get home safely. Neville knew that she had managed to get out of the castle because the ghosts would have informed them otherwise.</p><p> </p><p>As he looked out into the blizzard, he wondered where Harry, Ron and Hermione were. He felt a surge of guilt upon thinking of Harry.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t think so hard, the sound woke me up.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shut his eyes, “Ginny-”</p><p> </p><p>She wrapped her arms around him, and he wanted to melt into her embrace, but how could he? Lilly was right; it had to end right now before it could become any more complicated than it already was.</p><p> </p><p>He opened his eyes, “Ginny, we can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>She looked up at him, eyes ablaze, “Why can’t we?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because of Harry,” Neville said, trying very hard not to look her in the eye.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny sighed, “Harry this, Harry that. Which one of us was in love with him?”</p><p> </p><p>“You,” Neville said honestly, “And you still are, Gin. Every time someone mentions him you tense, you listen for his name on the radio. Your brothers and <em>him </em>that’s why we listen to Potterwatch every night.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve loved Harry since I was a kid,” Ginny said honestly, “But I still had boyfriends before him. You can love more than one person, you know? Especially when that person seems to be hellbent on getting himself killed.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville caught her eye, “But-”</p><p> </p><p>“But nothing,” Ginny said firmly, “We broke up, Neville. Let me show you.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville frowned as she grabbed his hand and pushed herself onto her tiptoes. She pressed her forehead against his and gripped her wand in her other hand, “Legilimens,” she murmured.</p><p> </p><p>Neville shut his eyes, and a memory invaded his mind, but it wasn’t his own. It was blurry and out of focus, but that was just because Ginny wasn’t a skilled Legilimens.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Harry and Ginny were standing together in the grounds, in the aftermath of Dumbledore’s funeral.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Ginny, listen,” Harry said, “I can’t be involved with you any more. We’ve got to stop seeing each other. We can’t be together.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Neville frowned as he watched how Ginny handled it. She didn’t cry or try to convince him to change his mind. She just told him she had expected it. When the memory ended, the fog shifted and several strange shapes formed as Ginny focused on the next memory that she wanted to show him.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Harry and Ginny were in Ginny’s bedroom at the Burrow. She was wearing a disgusting bridesmaids dress, and Harry was straightening up his dress robes.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You can’t die, because if you do, I’ll have to live with the fact that the last time we had sex I was wearing this and my brother caught us,” Ginny snorted.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Harry’s cheeks were still red, “I’m sorry.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Ginny frowned at him, “Why are you sorry?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I broke up with you,” Harry said quietly, “I wanted to cut all ties, but I…I got back here, and all you had to do was look at me like that and…”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Ginny smiled slightly, “I know we’re not back together, Harry.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Harry looked up at her, “What was that then?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Goodbye sex?” Ginny suggested.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Goodbye sex?” Harry asked, an amused smile playing on his lips.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Ginny smiled, and a call from downstairs distracted them.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Ginny,” Harry said as she reached for the door handle. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>She turned to look at him.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t wait for me, okay?” Harry asked, “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, and there’s a real chance that I won’t come back.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Ginny raised an eyebrow, “Harry, do you really think I’m just going to sit on my laurels and wait for you to come back?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“No,” Harry said with a smile, “And it’s why I love you, but it had to be said.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Ginny nodded, “Come on. We have a wedding to get to.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>With that, the fog obscured the memory once more, and Ginny pulled back. Neville felt a strange sense of loss the minute their connection came to an end.</p><p> </p><p>He opened his eyes and looked straight into hers, “He loves you.”</p><p> </p><p>“He also told me not to wait for him,” Ginny reminded Neville, “He asked you to look after me, and he meant to keep me alive. There’s a real chance he won’t come back from this and an even more real chance that he’ll come back a changed person, a person I might not like. He might not like the person that I’ve become this year. This could be the end Neville, for all of us.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville knew that she was right. His parents had been Aurors, and they had been older than them, but they hadn’t come through the last war intact. Harry’s parents had perished, an Auror and Lily Evans, the smartest witch of her age. They were school children fighting an enemy far greater than them.</p><p> </p><p>Neville stopped looking at his feet and caught her eye. The moment he saw unshed tears behind the fire, he leant down and cupped her face, kissing her more passionately and softly than he had before.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE FOREST OF DEAN ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>26<sup>th</sup> December 1997</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p><p>It had been the most miserable Christmas of Harry’s life, it surpassed even those he had been forced to endure with the Dursleys. When they landed in the Forest of Dean the following day, it was bitterly cold, and snow fell all around them.</p><p> </p><p>As they huddled for warmth around a small magical fire in a jar in the entrance of the tent. Hermione looked up from her copy of “<em>The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore”</em> at the canopy of trees around them.</p><p> </p><p>“I came here once with Mum and Dad, years ago,” Hermione said quietly, “It’s just how I remember it. The trees, the river, everything like…nothing’s changed. It’s not true, of course, everything’s changed.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry watched her, expecting some sort of breakdown on the horizon.</p><p> </p><p>“If I brought my parents back here now they probably wouldn’t recognise any of it,” Hermione said, and her voice cracked, “Not the trees or the river, not even me.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry sighed and looked away from her.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe we should just stay here, Harry,” Hermione said, and the desperation in her voice broke his heart a little, “Grow old.”</p><p> </p><p>He tried to return her half-smile, but he was sure that it came across as more of a grimace, “I wish we could,” he said simply.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione looked back down at her book, and they both fell silent. But something had changed after Godric’s Hollow, something had snapped inside Harry. He was beginning to see that Hermione was right, he was under an illusion that this was love when it couldn’t be. It couldn’t work in the real world, he had Ginny to go back to, and she had feelings for Ron.</p><p> </p><p>He sighed and looked at the magical fire, dancing away in its jar. Not for the first time, he wondered how they were ever going to get through this.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>26<sup>th </sup>December 1997</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Lilly avoided Neville on Christmas day. She had seen his exchange with Ginny in the early hours of the morning, and it had made her blood boil. She distracted herself in the hospital wing and only spoke to him when she had to, on boxing day.</p><p> </p><p>“Supplies,” Lilly said, holding out a list to him.</p><p> </p><p>Neville took it and glanced down, “We’re low.”</p><p> </p><p>“Very,” Lilly agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll arrange a night-time outing to gather some more,” Neville promised. He looked up and smiled at her, but was surprised by the coldness in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Lil, what’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly scoffed, “Neville, I want to do the right thing, which is why I’m here. I feel like I can make a difference, and I think I have already. But I didn’t sign up for watching you act like a reckless idiot with Ginny Weasley so I will talk to you whenever I need to, for the sake of the cause. But beyond that, I have my hospital wing, and you have your rebellion.”</p><p> </p><p>“Lilly, it’s not like that,” Neville began to explain, “There are feelings-”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s great,” Lilly said irritably, “But the Neville I knew wouldn’t be sleeping with someone who means so much to his friend, feelings or not.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville opened his mouth to object then shut it again because deep down he realised that she was right.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re allies,” Lilly promised him, “And we always will be, but right now we’re not friends. Okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Lilly-”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s no negotiating the terms,” Lilly said shortly, “And I have two cases of pneumonia to treat so, please tell people to wear more jumpers, or transfigure some thicker blankets.”</p><p> </p><p>Before he could say anything else, she walked away.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ * </strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Last Call for Sin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Tragedy struck the Slytherin faction of the rebellion on boxing day. It had been Draco’s turn to make the mad dash down two floors to steal some potions ingredients. Security on the castle was heightened. It was as if the Carrows thought they were all going to throw a rebellion Christmas party. Usually, they would have held off, but the ingredients were for Theo’s protein potion and one month on, he still needed it. He could shower by himself now; he had needed Draco to hold him up, to begin with. He hadn’t left the bathroom all month, and he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. Ginny had reckoned that his recovery would take two months at best, so he had a long way to go yet.</p><p> </p><p>He had no idea why Sadie had suddenly become colder towards him than she had been before, but it didn’t seem to phase him too much either. He kept his spirits, and the rest of their spirits, up well.</p><p>                                                              </p><p>Disaster struck when Draco snuck into a passageway that they regularly used when they were stealing ingredients. He stopped in his tracks when he came face to face with Amycus Carrow.</p><p> </p><p>The Death Eater grabbed him and grinned, “Well, well, well. Isn’t this a brilliant Christmas present for Lucius Malfoy? His traitor son.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco wasn’t sure what was worse, his father or Voldemort. He expected that they were in the same place anyway.</p><p> </p><p>Amycus’s grin widened, “Stupefy!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“They’ve got him.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked up and caught Daphne’s eye, “In the tower?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shook her head, “It’s worse than that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh fuck, he’s dead!” Theo exclaimed angrily.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Daphne remarked, “But the Carrows took him home. Apparently, his father wanted a word with him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then he’s dead,” Pansy said. So quietly that only Theo heard it.</p><p> </p><p>He wrapped an arm around the dark-haired girl, “Pans-”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s a rogue Death Eater, Theo!” Pansy exclaimed, pushing herself to her feet, “He’s an embarrassment to the family, you know exactly what Lucius will do to him!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo enveloped her in a hug and held her. He shut his eyes tightly, determined not to let the others see that he was crying, “He’ll fight him, he knows that Manor like the back of his hand. He’ll find a way out.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sat down in-between Tracey and Sadie. The two girls looked at her anxiously, as if expecting her to break down too.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s dead, isn’t he?” Sadie asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Not yet,” Daphne answered as she let her head fall into her hands, “But he will be soon. Whether his father….or the Dark Lord does it, I don’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Tracey asked, grabbing her best friends hand.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine,” Daphne lied.</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne,” Sadie said tearfully, “It’s okay not to be fine. You were together for a long time. You were going to marry him one day.”</p><p> </p><p>“Until he chose this path,” Daphne said, anger burning in her eyes, although she wasn’t quite sure who it was directed towards, “That was when I told my mother that there was no way I was going to abide by that stupid contract. I would rather lose everything than marry a Death Eater. I can’t be another Almina Nott or Narcissa Malfoy; I won’t be.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Tracey said, she gripped her hand, “But you loved Draco before he was a Death Eater, so if you want to cry, we won’t judge you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t want to cry,” Daphne said curtly. She got to her feet and walked towards the blackboard, “I want to fight back.”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey and Sadie shared a concerned glance while Pansy cried in Theo’s arms.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE FOREST OF DEAN ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>The night of the 26<sup>th</sup> of December, leading into the early hours of the 27<sup>th</sup></em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Following the silver doe blindly had been stupid. Jumping into the frozen lake to retrieve the sword of Gryffindor while he was still wearing the Horcrux had been downright suicidal.</p><p> </p><p>As hands pulled Harry out of the lake, away from certain death, he had no idea who they belonged to, but he most certainly did not expect a familiar voice to ask, “Are – you – mental?”</p><p> </p><p>The shock made him sit up, bolt upright. His eyes found Ron, and he stared at him stupidly, so surprised to see him in the dead of night, in the middle of this frozen forest.</p><p> </p><p>“Why the hell didn’t you take this thing off before you dived?” Ron asked him incredulously.</p><p> </p><p>Harry’s voice was weak, his teeth chattered, “It was y – you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, yeah,” Ron said with a frown.</p><p> </p><p>“Y – you cast the doe?”</p><p> </p><p>“What? No, of course not! I thought it was you doing it!” Ron explained.</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked at him in confusion, “My Patronus is a stag.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah. I thought it looked different. No antlers,” Ron said slowly.</p><p> </p><p>They had a brief conversation about how Ron had gotten back. Harry asked him about the doe, whether he had seen anyone, but there was no trace that another person had been there. The moment of truth came when Ron asked Harry if he thought the sword of Gryffindor was the real deal, and there was only one way to find out, by attempting to destroy the Horcrux with it.</p><p> </p><p>“You should do it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me?” Ron asked, “Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“You got the sword out of the pool. I think it’s supposed to be you,” Harry said. He couldn’t expand on it any more than that, but it was a gut feeling, and they tended to be right, so he trusted them more often than not.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll open it, and you stab it, but it will put up a fight,” Harry warned his best friend, “The bit of Riddle in the diary tried to kill me in second year, and it would have killed Ginny if we hadn’t got there when we did.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron nodded, “How are you going to open it?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry knew how. He had known, or at the very least suspected, for quite some time, but there had been no point in sharing this with Ron and Hermione until they had a method of destroying it.</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked down at the snake and opened his mouth, but before he could, Ron had a bit of a meltdown and begged him not to open it. He told Harry of how bad that Horcrux was for him, of how it made him feel when he was wearing it. Harry wasn’t stupid, he knew that Ron was afraid of the Horcrux and was terrified of what would happen when it opened, but that was why it <em>had </em>to be him.</p><p> </p><p>“You can do it,” Harry said, “You can! You’ve just got the sword, I know it’s supposed to be you who uses it. Please, just get rid of it, Ron.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron swallowed and moved towards the rock that the locket sat upon.</p><p> </p><p>“One…two…three…<em>open</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>The locket swung open with a little click and behind both glass windows, burned a living eye, as dark and handsome as Tom Riddle’s had been before they became scarlet and snake-like.</p><p> </p><p>Ron raised the sword, his hands shaking then a voice hissed from the Horcrux.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I have seen your heart, and it is mine.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Don’t listen to it!” Harry yelled, “Stab it!”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley, and I have seen your fears. All you desire is possible, but all that you dread is also possible…”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Stab!” Harry shouted.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Least loved, always, by the mother who craved a daughter…least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend…second best, always, eternally overshadowed…”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Ron, stab it now!” Harry roared. He could feel the locket becoming more powerful, and that scared him. Ron raised the sword higher, and as he did so, the handsome eyes gleamed scarlet.</p><p> </p><p>Two heads rose out of the lockets windows. They were Harry and Hermione’s, and they were weirdly distorted but visible for what they were all the same. This alarmed Ron who fell back in shock as the heads became figures, standing above Ron along with Harry who had just burned his fingers on the locket as it increased in power.</p><p> </p><p>“Ron!” He yelled, but the Riddle-Harry was now speaking with Voldemort’s voice, and Ron was gazing into his face.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Why return? We were better without you, happier without you, glad of your absence… we laughed at your stupidity, your cowardice, your presumption-”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Presumption!” </em>The Riddle-Hermione echoed.</p><p> </p><p>Ron was both terrified, and transfixed at the same time as she said, <em>“Who could look at you, who would ever look at you, beside Harry Potter? What have you ever done, compared with the Chosen One? What are you, compared with the Boy Who Lived?”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Ron, stab it, STAB IT!” Harry yelled, but Ron didn’t move.</p><p> </p><p>The two figures continued to taunt him and when Ron raised the sword and plunged it down, for a fraction of a second Harry braced for impact. He was sure he had seen a flash of scarlet in his eyes and in that brief moment, he didn’t know if Ron would hit him or the Horcrux.</p><p> </p><p>Harry spun in the snow, his hand still gripping Hermione’s wand tightly. His eyes fell on Ron’s which were not scarlet, but blue and wet with tears. Harry cast his eyes downwards to give the other man some privacy.</p><p> </p><p>Ron fell to the ground, his head buried in his knees, his body shaking. Guilt flooded Harry as he knelt in the cold snow in front of his friend. He placed his hand cautiously on Ron’s shoulder, half-expecting it to be thrown off but Ron made no such movement.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you…” Ron sniffed and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, “Did you two…”</p><p> </p><p>Harry couldn’t lie to him. If he lied now…the truth would come out eventually. He couldn’t meet his best friends eye, “Yeah, we did.”</p><p> </p><p>The betrayal in Ron’s eyes stung more than Harry thought it would.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you…”</p><p> </p><p>“No, we’re not together,” Harry said with a shake of his head, “It was for comfort. We were …we were lonely, and it shouldn’t have happened.”</p><p> </p><p>“But it did,” Ron said. It was almost impossible to read his emotions from his tone of voice, “It’s not like you just fell into bed with her by accident. You had a choice.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry frowned, “Yeah, I did but…” he sighed, “Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones, but you still have to choose.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron remained silent.</p><p> </p><p>“It was my fault, Ron, not hers,” Harry said quietly, “Please, don’t blame her because she loves you.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron looked up at these words, “What?”</p><p> </p><p>“She loves you,” Harry said again, “She doesn’t love me and I … I thought I loved her, but I don’t. It was an illusion, caused by loneliness and the constant threat of death hanging over our heads. She cries all of the time, she wears that old quidditch jumper that you left in the tent all of the time. I was just…” Harry frowned, “I just filled a gap for her, I think.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron didn’t move. His eyes were still on Harry’s, and it seemed as though searching them for a moment told him that his best friend was telling the truth.</p><p> </p><p>“Why tell me?”</p><p> </p><p>“I couldn’t keep it from you,” Harry said with a frown.</p><p> </p><p>“Because you couldn’t handle the guilt,” Ron said quietly, “You’re not telling me because it’s the right thing to do, you’re telling me to get it off of your chest, the guilt.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Harry said honestly, “Because I feel guilty. Of course, I feel guilty! I feel sick when I think about Ginny and what she…I mean, what is Ginny going to say?” he shook his head.</p><p> </p><p>Ron’s eyes darkened at that subject, but he said nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“Would you rather this all ended, you and Hermione got together, and then you found out?” Harry countered, “Or would you rather I was straight with you from the moment you got back?”</p><p> </p><p>Ron sighed, “Yeah, I get it.”</p><p> </p><p>“And you’re not…going to…you know, curse me?”</p><p> </p><p>Ron shook his head, “I left. I pushed you into each other’s arms. I’m…I’m upset, but I can’t be angry about it. I don’t have the right.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked at his friend for a moment, their eyes met.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Ron said, genuine sadness shone in his eyes, “I’m sorry I left. I know I was a – a-”</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t seem to be able to find the word, but Harry had never heard such a genuine apology from Ron.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve sort of made up for it tonight,” Harry said honestly, “Getting the sword. Finishing off the Horcrux. Saving my life.”</p><p> </p><p>“That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was,” Ron mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was,” Harry said with a half-smile, “I’ve been trying to tell you that for years.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron smiled slightly too, and they both walked towards each other. Despite the talk about Hermione, they gripped each other in a tight hug that lasted a few seconds longer than it really needed to.</p><p> </p><p>When they broke apart, they joked about finding the tent and left the miserable little clearing behind them happily. By the time they eventually entered the tent, the warmth was well and truly welcome after the freezing cold pond.</p><p> </p><p>Ron hung back as Harry knelt by Hermione’s bed and shook her awake. She was wrapped in blankets and wore several jumpers, this was by far the coldest night that they had endured.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Hermione!”</em></p><p> </p><p>When she eventually awoke, it was with a start, “What’s wrong? Harry? Are you okay?” Hermione asked, a little disorientated.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, everything’s fine. More than fine. I’m great. There’s someone here,” Harry rambled.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean? Who - ?”</p><p> </p><p>At that point, she looked up and saw Ron. She got up from her bed silently and walked towards him, her eyes wide, and her mouth open in surprise. Harry took a step back, ready to avert his gaze when she inevitably kissed Ron.</p><p> </p><p>He sighed as Ron lifted his arms for a hug, but Hermione took them both by surprise when she started to punch every inch of him that she could reach.</p><p> </p><p>“You – complete – <em>arse – </em>Ronald Weasley!” Hermione roared, “You – crawl  - back – here – after – weeks – and – weeks – oh, where’s my wand?”</p><p> </p><p>She spun and glared at Harry.</p><p> </p><p>“Protego!”</p><p> </p><p>The invisible shield erupted between Ron and Hermione. The force of it knocked Hermione backwards onto the floor, but she leapt up and advanced on Harry.</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione!” Harry said, “Calm-”</p><p> </p><p>“I will not calm down!” She screamed, “Give me back my wand! Give it back to me!”</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione, will you please-”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you tell me what to do, Harry Potter!” She yelled, “Don’t you dare! Give it back now! And YOU!”</p><p> </p><p>Harry watched in alarm as she pointed at Ron. He didn’t blame Ron for taking a couple of steps back.</p><p> </p><p>“I came running after you! I called you! I begged you to come back!”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Ron said, regret apparent in his voice, “Hermione, I’m sorry, I’m really-”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione laughed shrilly, “Oh, you’re sorry?”</p><p> </p><p>Ron looked at Harry, and Harry made a face and shrugged. He was as perplexed as Ron about Hermione’s sudden lack of control. Perhaps the last few months of emotional turmoil had just been too much for her.</p><p> </p><p>“You come back after weeks – <em>weeks ­– </em>and you think it’s all going to be all right if you just say sorry?” Hermione asked coldly.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, what else can I say?” Ron retaliated.</p><p> </p><p>Harry watched them cautiously as they argued. Ron stood his ground, Hermione yelled back.</p><p> </p><p>Ron told them a story about a group of snatchers who had nearly caught him. Harry tried his best to defend Ron, he tried to tell Hermione that Ron had saved his life, but if she heard him, she chose to pretend that she hadn’t. Her rage was indication enough that she felt far more for Ron than she ever had for Harry.</p><p> </p><p>When Ron told her the story about the light coming out of his pocket and leading him to Hermione, Harry saw her eyes soften, and he knew, this was the end of whatever had been between them.</p><p> </p><p>When it was all over, Hermione crawled back into her bed, and Harry took a step closer to Ron, “About the best you could have hoped for, I think.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Ron whispered, “Could’ve been worse. Remember those birds she set on me?”</p><p> </p><p>“I still haven’t ruled it out!” Hermione called from underneath her blankets.</p><p> </p><p>Harry caught Ron smiling out of the corner of his eye, and his heart sank. Yes, this was definitely the end.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Hermione cornered Harry outside the tent when they were packing up the next morning, and Harry knew exactly what she was going to say to him before the words even left her mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“What happened on Christmas morning,” Hermione whispered, “That was the last time. I’m serious this time.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, Hermione,” Harry said quietly, “It was him, it was always him.”</p><p> </p><p>She opened her mouth to deny it but then realised that she couldn’t, not without telling at least one lie.</p><p> </p><p>“I understand,” Harry said simply, “And when the dust settles if we’re all still alive…we’ll talk about it. Okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione nodded, “Harry – it – it wasn’t <em>nothing</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“But now it is,” Harry said, a note of finality in his voice.</p><p> </p><p>The pain in Hermione’s eyes hurt, but he had to be cruel to her. She didn’t want him, deep down she knew that and if it took him severing that bond then that was what it had to take.</p><p> </p><p>At that point, Ron walked out of the tent, and Hermione took a step back from Harry. The moment was over, and Harry doubted that it would be spoken of again before the end of the war.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ MALFOY MANOR ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>27<sup>th</sup> of December 1997</em>
</p><p> </p><p>When Draco woke up, he knew he was going to die. He was in the dungeons of his family home, the place where they threw Muggles and other people that they considered scum. He wriggled up into a sitting position which was difficult because his hands were bound behind his back</p><p> </p><p>He blinked a few times until his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, then he saw someone sitting in the corner of his cell, “Lovegood?”</p><p> </p><p>Luna looked up, she had a large gash across her face, and it was clear that the cruciatus curse had been used on her.</p><p> </p><p>“What did they do to you?” Draco asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“They took me to make my Daddy stop writing bad things about them. But now they want to know where Harry is. I don’t know that, but they asked me where Neville and Ginny were and…” Luna said quietly, “…I wouldn’t tell them.”</p><p> </p><p>“They’ll kill you,” Draco said, he felt oddly sympathetic about this girls fate, she was only sixteen.</p><p> </p><p>Luna shook her head.</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned, and at that point, the door was opened. Bellatrix smirked at him, “No, Draco, you’re going to do that for us.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Draco said firmly, “No, I won’t kill anyone.”</p><p> </p><p>Bellatrix laughed, “No? Once Fenrir is finished with you, and we throw you into this cell, you won’t be able to resist her.”</p><p> </p><p>Luna paled, and Draco shook his head as Bellatrix grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, “No!”</p><p> </p><p>She dragged him up the stairs into the drawing-room of the Manor. His father stood before him; he looked incredibly angry. Flanking him was Greyback and his aunt. His mother sat in a chair by the fire, her eyes staring blankly ahead, which was how Draco knew that she was under an imperius curse.</p><p> </p><p>“How dare you!” Lucius hissed as he pointed his wand at his son, “How dare you betray our family like this? How dare you betray <em>me </em>like this?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco shut his eyes and waited for it, “Crucio!” he thundered.</p><p> </p><p>Draco had felt so many levels of pain before but nothing like that. His father channelled every ounce of hatred and rage into that curse and hit him square in the chest with it. He screamed, he shouted, he cried, his body convulsed. He heard cracks and snaps; things broke inside him, mentally and physically.</p><p> </p><p>When Lucius stopped, Draco lay on the floor of the room limp and lifeless. He was alive, but barely. He could not move a muscle, and all he could feel was the pain. The world around him blurred, black dots obscured his vision. He could hear talking, but it was like he was in a dream. The voices echoed; they seemed too close and too far away all at once.</p><p> </p><p>“Do it, Lucius, you coward!”</p><p> </p><p>“You are talking about unleashing a werewolf on him, Bellatrix,” Lucius hissed, “Greyback enjoys turning them when they are young, and despite his sins, this is my son.”</p><p> </p><p>Bellatrix laughed, “He’s your son now, is he? You didn’t care much when you were torturing him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Greyback won’t just turn him,” Lucius muttered, “You know what he will do to him. Does anyone deserve that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Mudbloods deserve it,” Bellatrix sneered, “And so do traitors. He will succumb to the darkness inside him when he wakes up and sees what he has done to the girl.”</p><p> </p><p>“I just-”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh stop being a coward!” Bellatrix bellowed, “Fenrir, have your fun with the boy.”</p><p> </p><p>There was a growl, and then Draco felt something large and heavy hit him square in the chest. He struggled for breath as he felt hot breath on his neck and sharp, clawed fingernails digging into his arms.</p><p> </p><p>Then a blood-curdling scream changed everything.</p><p> </p><p>“NO!”</p><p> </p><p>He knew that voice. It cut through the haze; it was his mother. She had broken free of the imperius curse.</p><p> </p><p>“STOP!” She shrieked, “He is my son! He is a boy! He does not deserve this, and you know that Lucius. You cannot allow her to inflict this on our son, in our family home, I will not allow it!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco felt a warm blast, and then he heard the faint buzz of magic. His mother was duelling his aunt.</p><p> </p><p>“Greyback, stand down,” Lucius commanded.</p><p> </p><p>Greyback growled angrily.</p><p> </p><p>“Now,” Lucius dictated.</p><p> </p><p>Draco breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the weight of the werewolf leave his body. His body felt heavy, he felt weak, and although he wanted to get up and fight more than anything else, his body gave in.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>27<sup>th</sup> December 1997</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The first time they heard news of Harry was a few days after Christmas. They tuned the radio into Potterwatch with the weekly password, this week it was Phoenix.</p><p> </p><p>The room fell silent to listen to the broadcast, but the briefing area felt empty. Neville and Ginny sat together on the sofa. Her hand was on his knee, and they were close enough that he could feel the heat of her body emanating against his. But Luna was gone, and Lilly had opted to listen to the broadcast from Susan’s hammock.</p><p> </p><p>Neville glanced up at her, but she refused to meet his eye, instead snuggling into her friend.</p><p> </p><p>He sighed as the broadcast began.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Greetings to all of our listeners. We start today’s broadcast with some sad news. We regret to inform you that the remains of Bathilda Bagshot have been discovered in Godric’s Hollow. The evidence is that despite sightings of her out walking in Godric’s Hollow, Bathilda died several months ago. The Order of the Phoenix informs us that her body showed unmistaken signs of injury inflicted by dark magic.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Neville sighed and shook his head, his Grandmother had known Bathilda, and she had been a lovely woman.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“There was also evidence of a recent battle in her home, and the building next door.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ginny gripped Neville’s hand and caught his eye, “Harry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Godric’s Hollow,” Neville whispered, “It had to be.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“And has the Wizarding Wireless Network News reported any of this? No. The Wizarding Wireless “No News” Network.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Sadly, these aren’t the only deaths that the News Network and the Daily Prophet didn’t think important enough to mention. It is with great regret that we inform our listeners of the murder of Blake and Beau Zabini, who were believed to be working for You-Know-Who under the influence of the imperius curse.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“It’s hitting them too,” Neville said, rubbing his eyes as the broadcast came to an end.</p><p> </p><p>“Harry was in Godric’s Hollow,” Ginny said with a sigh, “How stupid is he? The first place they would look for him is there, or here.”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s hiding in plain sight then there’s going home,” Neville agreed, “But if Bathilda’s body had been damaged by dark magic then there was something there. Whatever reason he had for going back, it had to be a good one.”</p><p> </p><p>“The sword,” Ginny said simply.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Neville breathed, “Looking in Godric’s birthplace for the sword of Gryffindor would make sense.”</p><p> </p><p>“We need to get that sword to him, somehow,” Ginny said.</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “We’ll do it over Christmas break while the castle is half-empty.”</p><p> </p><p>“Deal,” Ginny agreed.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The Slytherins listened to Potterwatch and heard about the deaths of Blaise’s two eldest brothers, Blake and Beau. There was no morale in the friend group, Pansy had cried for the last two days straight, and Theo hadn’t left her side. Daphne was trying to push on with things, but the others could tell that she was in pain.</p><p> </p><p>There was no clear leadership or direction, and everything had fallen apart in Draco’s absence. Emotions were running high, and because of that, Theo did something that he was going to end up regretting for the rest of his life. He was lying in bed with Pansy, as he had done every night since Draco’s disappearance.</p><p> </p><p>“I loved him,” Pansy whispered into the dead of the night, unsure if Theo was still awake.</p><p> </p><p>“So did I,” Theo returned.</p><p> </p><p>She rolled onto her side and looked at him, “In the same way that I did? I won’t judge you if you did Theo.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo frowned and looked in her eye, “No, I don’t think so. Not unless my denial goes deeper than I thought.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy managed a small, sad smile, “I used to daydream about marrying Draco, back in third year when I was foolish and naïve.”</p><p> </p><p>“We were all foolish and naïve in third year,” Theo said, lacing his fingers through hers.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy looked down at their joined hands, “I used to wonder if it would be like my parents' relationship.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo frowned, “Your parents' relationship?”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded, “Yeah, you were around my house a lot as a kid, weren’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Theo returned.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you’ll remember then,” Pansy stated, “There was my Mum, my Dad and my Uncle Acorux. He wasn’t really my uncle, just my Dads best friend but he lived with us pretty much my whole life. He was a curse breaker, so sometimes he was gone, but everyone was always happier when he was home. I didn’t really work it out until he died last year, I heard these whispered conversations between my parents, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo’s eyes widened, “Oh, so it was like a…”</p><p> </p><p>“Three-way?” Pansy finished with an amused smile, “Sort of, I guess. My Dad loved him, and he made my Dad happy, which was all that I cared about. You know as well as I do that pureblood relationships are rarely as simple as boy meets girl, they fall in love, the end.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded, a sinister look crossing his face.</p><p> </p><p>“And for a while, I thought maybe that’s what we’d have to do,” Pansy said, she chuckled weakly, “Me, Draco and you, the permanent third wheel.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” Theo admitted.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy looked into his eyes with a start.</p><p> </p><p>“But not because I’m in love with Draco,” Theo finished, “If there was ever a need for a weird three-way it would be because of you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me?” Pansy asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Because we both wanted you,” Theo elaborated.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy’s eyes widened, and she searched his, trying to see if this was some big joke to him. When she saw sincerity there, she couldn’t do anything more than stare at him in shock.</p><p> </p><p>Theo rested his hand on her cheek but didn’t break eye contact. He leant forward and paused, his lips centimetres away from hers.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo,” Pansy breathed.</p><p> </p><p>That was all it took for him to close the distance between them, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. It wasn’t romantic, despite the conversation that had preceded it. It was also nothing like Theo had experienced before. He had an issue when it came to sex, not that he would ever acknowledge that out loud, but he knew it was a problem. He used sex as a coping mechanism, when he had grown into himself in sixth year, girls had started to find him attractive, and it made him feel better, more popular, worth something.</p><p> </p><p>He was used to quick encounters in broom cupboards, behind greenhouses or sometimes in the dorm room of another common room. But never something like this, it wasn’t an outlet for anger or stress. It was comfort, the way their hands slid over the other’s body; it was gentle. The kissing wasn’t rough or hurried; it was slow and soft.</p><p> </p><p>And when Pansy’s hands slid below his waistband, Theo had to pull himself back down to reality, “Pansy, we can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s not coming back, Theo,” Pansy had said, tears shining in her eyes, “And I want to feel something more than this ache in my chest.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo kissed the stray tears on her cheeks then moved his lips to her mouth. She slid her hand lower, and he slipped his hand under the old Quidditch strip that she was wearing, <em>Draco’s </em>old strip he thought with a painful twinge.</p><p> </p><p>Theo sighed against her lips. He knew that he was going to regret it, but he couldn’t resist her either. She meant more to him than a friend, and he hadn’t had sex for months. For someone who had a bit of an addiction problem, that made it hard to have self-control in such a situation.</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy,” He groaned as she gripped his cock and moved her hand along his length. He slipped his free hand under the waistband of her silky shorts and felt quite how aroused she was. She moaned against his neck when he slid a finger inside her, and she squirmed against him.</p><p> </p><p>Any sense of self-control that he had been holding onto was thrown out of the window. He slipped his trousers off while Pansy shimmied out of her shorts. He muttered an incantation, which Pansy recognised as the protection charm that witches and wizards used to avoid unplanned pregnancy. Then he kissed her and guided himself into her. She moaned against his lips and gasped once he was fully inside her.</p><p> </p><p>“You okay?” He asked, moving his lips to her ear.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Pansy moaned.</p><p> </p><p>Theo captured her lips again and started to move inside her. She raised her hips and pushed against him. Theo groaned, his forehead resting against hers, their breath ghosting over each other’s cheeks. They moved together in perfect rhythm, and it didn’t last long. Theo hadn’t had sex in months, and he still wasn’t back to full fitness after his imprisonment in the Dark Tower. His breath caught in his throat as his thrusts became erratic, she could tell that he was close, so she pulled him down and kissed him.</p><p> </p><p>He broke the kiss and breathed her name when he came, his head resting against her shoulder as tears filled his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>She wrapped her arms around him, and he rolled off of her. She held him tightly as he finally let himself break down, and she cried with him.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The guilt that overwhelmed Theo was worse than anything he had felt before. He slipped out of bed in the middle of the night and threw up. Then he had a shower. When he came out, he sank onto a sofa and punched himself in the head.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong with you?” Sadie asked.</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked up. She was sitting at the desk, circling anything of importance from the latest copy of the Prophet.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t want to know,” Theo said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Something bad enough to make you throw up and cry,” Sadie mused, “You slept with Pansy.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked at her in disbelief, “How did you…”</p><p> </p><p>“Because I know you, and self-destructive is your middle name,” Sadie said coldly, “He is your best friend, Theo. Your <em>best </em>friend. He has stuck by you through so much, and you can do that to him? It’s sickening. I don’t blame you for throwing up.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo dropped his head into his hands, “I fucking hate myself. I <em>hate </em>myself for feeling the way I do with Pansy. I…I hate myself for what I did to Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>“You had better hope he is dead,” Sadie said coolly, “Otherwise you are going to have to lie to Draco for the rest of your life.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sade-”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie got to her feet, “I don’t want to hear it,” she said simply.</p><p> </p><p>“Just promise me that you won’t tell the others,” Theo practically begged.</p><p> </p><p>“I won’t,” Sadie said simply, then she disappeared into the ‘bedroom’.</p><p> </p><p>Theo groaned and spent the rest of that night cursing himself for his stupidity. Pansy didn’t feel much better about the whole thing, she cried for days, and Theo was sure her tears were more out of guilt than pain</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t think that it could get worse, then the Carrows came back from a Death Eater meeting. The Slytherins got most of their news from scouts. Sometimes they did that job themselves, but more often than not, they had confidants in Slytherin house who relayed information to them. On this occasion, the news came from one of their more reliable sources, and it caused a real shockwave to go through the group when Tracey announced it in the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco is dead.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Pansy choked.</p><p> </p><p>“The Carrows announced it to the Slytherin common room last night,” Tracey said darkly, “They said that the Dark Lord had terminated his life because of his betrayal. They asked every member of Slytherin house to hand over any rebels that they come across and not to abet them, or they will suffer the same fate.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Sadie whispered.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne cried out angrily and threw a curse at one of the walls then she took herself away for a moment. Tracey followed her into the shower cubicle where she slid down the wall and eventually let herself cry. Tracey sat down next to her friend and held her silently.</p><p> </p><p>In the main bathroom, Theo and Pansy took this confirmation of what they had already known severely. Pansy broke down into tears, and Theo lost it. He was calm and composed all of the time, the logical thinker, the one who kept them all alive.</p><p> </p><p>“No…no…NO!” Theo yelled as he picked up a book and threw it across the room.</p><p> </p><p>He upturned the desk, “He didn’t fucking deserve that!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo shouted, screamed and eventually, having punched a mirror and smashed it to pieces, he leant over a sink and breathed heavily, “He didn’t deserve that,” he whispered as his tears fell thick and fast.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Ginny.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny opened her eyes wearily.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry to wake you up in the middle of the night,” Neville murmured against her cheek, “But I’ve just had news from Helena, and it’s bad enough to call a briefing.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny was immediately alert.</p><p> </p><p>“No, it’s not about Harry or your brothers,” he promised.</p><p> </p><p>She breathed a sigh of relief but jumped out of her hammock and freshened herself up anyway. When she reached the briefing area, she asked, “Am I the last one?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded. Gathered on the sofas were himself, Lilly and Susan.</p><p> </p><p>“I just got some bad news in from Helena,” Neville said in an undertone, “But I want to keep it quiet because it’s only going to instil panic amongst the group.”</p><p> </p><p>“Who died?” Lilly asked darkly.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco Malfoy,” Neville replied.</p><p> </p><p>Susan’s eyes widened.</p><p> </p><p>“He was caught by the Carrows and handed over to his Father,” Neville continued quietly, “The Carrows announced his death to the Slytherin common room yesterday. They said that You-Know-Who killed him and that he had died a traitorous cowards death. It has turned every single Slytherin into a spy so you cannot trust any of them anymore. I’d even be wary of Nott and the rest of them.”</p><p> </p><p>“They were close,” Ginny agreed with a frown, “This could easily cause Nott to switch sides.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “We need to treat it as if we’ve lost any alliance we did have with the Slytherins, and we have to regard every Slytherin that we come across as a spy.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan sighed and leant forward, resting her head on her index fingers, “That’s one-one.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean?” Ginny asked the Hufflepuff.</p><p> </p><p>“One of ours, and one of theirs,” Susan replied darkly, “We’re both rebelling, for different reasons of course, but all the same the Carrows are our common enemy.”</p><p> </p><p>“And now they’ve killed two of us,” Neville said with a nod.</p><p> </p><p>“Things are getting worse,” Ginny agreed, “Much worse. I suggest that we ration out the food that we have. It will cause strife, but it will mean that we don’t have to leave the room for a couple of weeks. That should be long enough for the fall-out of Malfoy’s death to pass.”</p><p> </p><p>“I agree,” Neville said, “For now, we guard the tunnel, but nobody goes through it.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you think, Lilly?” Ginny asked the Ravenclaw. She had been silent until that moment which wasn’t like her.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly looked up and shrugged, “I think we should stop using stupefy and start treating any known Death Eaters the same way that the Aurors would.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s eyes darkened, “If we kill them, how are we any better than they are?”</p><p> </p><p>“How are we doing any good if we stand by and let them keep picking us off?” Lilly asked, pushing herself to her feet, “How many more people need to die before we start killing them?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny turned to Neville and gripped his wrist, “She has a point.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville caught her eye, “Ginny. This isn’t a game, killing someone leaves a stain on your soul.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know it’s not a game Neville, it’s a war,” Ginny said softly.</p><p> </p><p>Neville sighed and looked down, “Fine. We aim to stun unless we are in dire straits. If it's our lives or theirs, then it’s a different story.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly scoffed and got to her feet, “So you listen to Ginny when she says the exact same thing that I just said? Is that all it takes to get you to listen? Jump into your bed?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny got to her feet, “That is out of line-”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly interrupted her, “That’s all I have to say on the matter. From now on, I suggest you use another Ravenclaw for these briefings since you don’t listen to anything that I say. Terry is a good strategist, but Michael is the better all-rounder.”</p><p> </p><p>“Lilly-” Susan said as she got to her feet.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly shook her head, “Don’t try and talk me around Susan. It’s a fact of life that friendships break down when people grow up. We mature in different ways and at different times, and I am trying to be professional, but I can’t do it anymore Neville.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s eyes hardened, “Go back to your hospital wing then.”</p><p> </p><p>“Gladly,” Lilly said coolly.</p><p> </p><p>As she walked away, Ginny took Neville’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>Neville kicked the sofa irritably, “She’s fucking infuriating!”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny cocked her head at him, “Did you two ever date?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head, “No, we were just friends, but that feels like a long time ago. I was a different person back then. She’s right about that.”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s nothing wrong with the person you are right now,” Ginny murmured, she kissed him lightly, “I’m going back to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville watched her back as she walked away, and Susan crossed the floor to sit down next to him, “You’ve got yourself wrapped up in quite the love triangle.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not a love triangle,” Neville said with a shake of his head, “Lilly and I have never been like that. It’s not like it was with you and me.”</p><p> </p><p>“It was messy with you and me,” Susan pointed out, “I was a wreck, you tried to fix me. Somehow sex became involved. It was awkward.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville chuckled, “Thanks, Susan.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not the sex, the whole relationship,” Susan corrected. She smiled at him, “The sex was good.”</p><p> </p><p>He snorted, “Is there a point to this conversation?”</p><p> </p><p>“Other than that you are clueless?” Susan remarked with a raised eyebrow, “Maybe you never thought it was like that with Lilly, but you don’t know if she ever had feelings for you. Do you?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville laughed, “Why would she have had feelings for me? When we were friends, I was the awkward kid who lost his toad and fell through the invisible step. Girls only started to notice me last year.”</p><p> </p><p>“I noticed you before that,” Susan said, she nudged him in the ribs, “And so did Ginny. Yes, you are Neville Longbottom, leader of the revolution right now. That’s hot and all, but you don’t have to change your personality to get girls to notice you.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled and put his arm around her shoulder, “Thanks for the pick me up, Suse.”</p><p> </p><p>She chuckled, “You gave me plenty when I was feeling down on my luck. Like after that encounter with Theodore Nott behind greenhouse three.”</p><p> </p><p>“What a place to lose your virginity,” Neville joked, “You liked him, didn’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>Susan shrugged, “I thought he liked me too, but he has issues. I don’t think he had an easy life growing up and things like that mark you. As far as first time stories go though, the stereotypical behind greenhouse three is a shit one.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, cause I’m so much better?” Neville grinned, “The bloody Astronomy tower Suse, that’s worse than greenhouse three.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan laughed, “That’s true.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville enjoyed the moment of normalcy amongst all of the chaos. It was nice just to talk and laugh with an old friend like there wasn’t a war raging all around them.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ MALFOY MANOR ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>When Draco woke up, every part of his body ached. He tried to move and whimpered in pain. It was pathetic. He opened his eyes and blinked out the sleep. His head felt heavy, and he felt incredibly thirsty.</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful,” Luna’s voice said, “You were unconscious for a long time.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco managed to turn his head to look at her, “How long?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Luna replied, “But it seemed like a few days.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco groaned and pushed himself into a sitting position, “How am I alive? I was nearly dead after he tortured me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your mother has been coming in,” Luna replied quietly, “She was giving you potions and water. She loves you very much.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know she does,” Draco said, he let his head fall into his hands.</p><p> </p><p>How had his mother gotten away with that? She had duelled her sister. How was she alive? Why was <em>he </em>alive?</p><p> </p><p>“They are waiting for You-Know-Who,” Luna continued in a whisper, “He’s busy at the moment, but once he’s done, he’s coming back, and he wants to deal with you himself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wonderful,” Draco remarked sarcastically. That answered one of his questions at least.</p><p> </p><p>Before Draco could question Luna any further, he heard footsteps on the stairs. He knew that they belonged to a woman because of the soft click of heels, rather than the thundering of boots. The door opened, and Narcissa stepped in, “Draco,” she breathed.</p><p> </p><p>“Mother,” Draco said. He got to his feet and hugged her. She bit back a gasp of pain.</p><p> </p><p>“What did he do to you?” Draco asked coldly.</p><p> </p><p>“He punished me for speaking out,” Narcissa replied calmly, “But I shall be fine. There is just a little bruising from the ordeal. Now that you are awake, I must transport you to the drawing-room. The Dark Lord wishes to see you.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed hard and turned back to Luna, “I hope you get out of this alive,” he said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>Luna just nodded.</p><p> </p><p>Draco followed his mother out of the cellar, but it soon became apparent that she wasn’t taking him to the drawing-room. When they reached the basement corridor, she led him away from the steps to the main house and into the wine store.</p><p> </p><p>She pulled the lid off of one of the barrels of firewhiskey, and Draco looked inside. At the bottom of the empty casket, there was an opening.</p><p> </p><p>“Follow it and run as far away from here as you can,” Narcissa whispered. She handed him his wand, “Do not apparate using the magic of the dark mark, because he can trace it. Get a safe distance away from the house and find somewhere to hide. You must not apparate Draco; there are anti-apparition wards on many isolated areas so that anyone trying to escape will be caught and splinched. If you do intend on going back to Hogwarts, be very careful. A caterwauling charm covers the entire village of Hogsmeade, and there are dementors close by too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mother, they will kill you if they realise that you helped me escape,” Draco whispered.</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa shook her head, “They will simply think that you managed to escape from a home that you know better than them. Go, Draco, please.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco hugged her again, taking care not to do so tightly this time. Then he said, “Thank you,” and paused, “I love you, Mother.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you too,” Narcissa said tearfully.</p><p> </p><p>Draco climbed into the barrel and dropped down the trapdoor into a secret passageway. It weaved its way deep under the house and brought him out in a cave a few feet away from the gates to the Manor. He immediately disillusioned himself and began to walk towards the village. He would have run if he felt capable of it, but every step he took was agonising.</p><p> </p><p>When he eventually reached the village, he snuck into the Muggle pub and hid out in the storeroom. Once it shut down for the night, he would steal some food, heal himself and come up with a plan to get back to Hogwarts.</p><p>
  
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  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. I Got Soul, But I'm Not a Soldier</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ WILTSHIRE TO THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND... ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Draco snuck out of the pub early the next morning. He had stolen some clothes from the lost and found basket and transfigured them into something more to his taste. He was glad that he had done so because he needed the thick coat. There was a fresh covering of snow on the ground which covered up his footsteps from the previous night. He carefully placed a masking charm on himself to cover up his scent, and a feather-light charm on his body so that he didn’t leave footprints in the snow.</p><p> </p><p>He shivered and refreshed his disillusionment charm then carried on. He had a plan, but it was a very haphazard one. He had once gotten on a Muggle train when he snuck out to visit Daphne, so he knew that the village had a train station. He planned to hop on and off of trains until he got as close to Hogwarts as possible.</p><p> </p><p>He waited for an hour on the platform and then the train pulled in. He jumped on and hid away with the luggage. When the train stopped at Reading, he got off and spent far too long trying to make sense of the train system. He didn’t have much choice though, any wizarding form of transport would be monitored so short of finding a broomstick somewhere, he was stuck with Muggle options.</p><p> </p><p>In the end, he took his disillusionment charm off and asked an older woman how he would get to the highlands of Scotland by train. The woman had given him a strange look then told him to go to London, Paddington station in particular. Then get himself to London, Kings Cross.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you know where that is, dear?”</p><p> </p><p>He smiled slightly, “Yes, I know where Kings Cross is.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wonderful. From there you can get a train up to Edinburgh then travel further North.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco thanked her profusely then snuck away and put his disillusionment charm back on. He hopped on a train to Paddington then got off and realised that he couldn’t use a four-point spell because it would involve walking around with his wand in front of him and a floating wand would look kind of suspicious.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck,” Draco muttered as he snagged a map from the “Information Point.”</p><p> </p><p>It turned out that Kings Cross was really far away from Paddington when you couldn’t apparate, and he didn’t have the common sense to get on a bus or the knowledge to hail down a taxi, so he walked. He got lost at least three times, had to ask for directions far too many times and was amazed that he didn’t get caught by any Death Eaters.</p><p> </p><p>When he eventually reached Kings Cross, it was well after midday, and he was starving. He stole a sandwich from a shop inside the station then managed to find a train destined for Edinburgh. He knew it was going to be a long train ride; he was used to the train from London to Hogwarts.</p><p> </p><p>He stowed himself away and fell asleep. He drifted in and out of consciousness as they stopped at stations. By the time he finally disembarked in Edinburgh, 7 hours later, he was aching and starving.</p><p> </p><p>It was 7.30 pm, and he still had a long way to go. He studied the boards in the train station and boarded a train to Perth which took another hour. When he got off there, he realised that no more trains were heading North that evening, so he found a nook in the train station, set up protective and warming charms and slept there.</p><p> </p><p>The following morning, he boarded the first train to Aviemore then realised that he had no idea where Hogwarts was from there. He cursed to himself as he looked around at the busy, tourist town. Was it safe enough to apparate from here? Surely the Death Eaters wouldn’t risk splinching themselves as they apparated to and from the school.</p><p> </p><p>He decided to chance it and apparate to the edge of Hogsmeade in the hope that wouldn’t set off the caterwauling charm. He spun on his heel and disappeared with a crack. When he reappeared, he was in the field by the shrieking shack and unfortunately, the caterwauling charm had been activated.</p><p> </p><p>Draco panicked and ran to the shrieking shack in the hope that it was so obvious that nobody would think to look for him there. He was starving, still very sore, and exhausted but adrenaline carried him across the snow-covered field faster than he thought possible. He dashed into the shack, and one of the rotting boards snapped. He cursed as his foot sunk into it. When he leant down to extract his foot, he realised that something was hidden under the floorboards. It looked like a trapdoor.</p><p> </p><p>Draco yanked it open and couldn’t believe his luck when he saw a tunnel. He jumped into it and shut the trapdoor behind him then he began to crawl. It felt like he crawled for hours and hours before he saw daylight again, but when he did so, he realised exactly where this tunnel came out. Branches flailed wildly in front of him.</p><p> </p><p><em>Great</em>, Draco thought to himself as he lay in wait below the whomping willow.</p><p> </p><p>He couldn’t sneak back into the school now. He would have to wait until darkness fell and slip in after curfew, so he hunkered down for a very long wait in a freezing, uncomfortable tunnel.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Morale in the Slytherin group had hit an all-time low, and to make matters worse, they needed food.</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t send anyone out!” Theo snapped as he leant against the desk.</p><p> </p><p>“Then we’ll starve to death!” Daphne snapped back.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo,” Pansy said, she got to her feet and looked him in the eye, “She’s right. We need food, and we need ingredients for your protein potion.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be fine without that Pansy. I’m feeling much better.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re light-headed and about to faint,” Sadie said with a roll of her eyes, “Make him sit down Pansy.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy frowned, “Why do I need to make him sit down?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because he only listens to you,” Sadie said. She muttered in an undertone, “And we both know why.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy shot her a dirty look but gripped Theos arm, “Sit down, Theo.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo sat down on the sofa and Daphne took over, “I agree that it’s risky to go out but-”</p><p> </p><p>“But nothing!” Theo roared, “Draco is dead! He’s not coming back, and if anyone else goes out there, they might not come back! I can’t risk it. I can’t lose anyone else!”</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t lose anyone?” Daphne asked angrily, “What about the rest of us? We <em>all </em>lost Draco and maybe not all of us were his best friend or the love of his life, but we all cared about him!”</p><p> </p><p>“Not the way that I did,” Theo snapped, “He was like my brother, and now he’s gone! And look at us without him, we can’t make a simple decision without fighting. Nobody appreciated him when he was here, you all thought he was just a stupid kid who turned Death Eater for glory but look at what we’ve become without him!”</p><p> </p><p>“A bunch of squabbling kids apparently.”</p><p> </p><p>They all spun around and stared at the door in disbelief. Draco looked awful, every inch of his body was covered in cuts and gashes, his clothes were ripped to pieces. He looked exhausted, weak and far too pale; his lips were tinged blue.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie was the first to move. She ran over and hugged him tightly. Draco grimaced but patted her on the back. Tracey breathed a sigh of relief and nodded at him. Then Daphne walked over to him and shook her head, “Just when I think you can’t slip out of any more sticky situations, you surprise me.”</p><p> </p><p>He smiled weakly, “I’m my father’s son in one way, I guess.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad you’re home,” Daphne said, she hugged him gently.</p><p> </p><p>Draco gripped the door frame and looked over at Theo and Pansy. They were both staring at him in shock, and that was tinged with guilt too.</p><p> </p><p>“Really? I thought you’d have missed me,” Draco joked dryly.</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Pansy faltered, “I can’t believe you’re alive,” she finished. Then she ran over and hugged him.</p><p> </p><p>He groaned and limped into the room, “Alive is a relative term. You might want to assess the damage Trace.”</p><p> </p><p>“Lie down,” Tracey instructed.</p><p> </p><p>Draco lay down on the sofa gingerly and looked up at Theo, “You alright, mate? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”</p><p> </p><p>“I kind of feel like I’m looking at one,” Theo said, his voice caught in his throat, “But I’m so glad you’re alive.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Draco said, he smiled weakly at his best friend, “I’m glad to be back.”</p><p> </p><p>“And you are lucky to be alive,” Tracey said as her diagnostic charm just kept flagging up injuries, “You look like the whomping willow has attacked you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Funny story there,” Draco said, groaning as a surge of pain hit him, “Involves a secret passageway into Hogwarts.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh sweet Salazar, he fought the whomping willow,” Daphne muttered.</p><p> </p><p>“You also show signs of exhaustion, malnutrition and you have mild hypothermia,” Tracey rattled off, “You would have died if you had been out there for much longer.”</p><p> </p><p>“How did you get back?” Daphne asked curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“Trains,” Draco mumbled before he passed out.</p><p> </p><p>“Trains?” Theo frowned.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled, “I made him get a train one summer when he snuck away to see me.”</p><p> </p><p>“So he hopped on and off trains to get here,” Tracey realised.</p><p> </p><p>“All the way from Wiltshire in January,” Daphne said with a shake of her head, “No wonder he has hypothermia.”</p><p> </p><p>“But he’s back,” Sadie said, looking up at Theo and Pansy, “And he’s alive.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“We have to tell him!”</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t!” Pansy objected as they argued in the store cupboard down the hall.</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy, I can’t look him in the eye knowing what we did,” Theo hissed, “I can’t live with the guilt; he’s my best friend.”</p><p> </p><p>“So you want to tell him, just to get it off your conscience?” Pansy asked irritably, “How does that help anyone? It just causes tension in a group that is already struggling having been cooped up together for so long.”</p><p> </p><p>“But it’s the right thing to do-”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Pansy said firmly. She grabbed Theo’s hand and looked him in the eye, “You can never tell Draco what happened. We thought he was dead, and we were upset. It was a mistake-”</p><p> </p><p>“A mistake that happened more than once,” Theo pointed out irritably.</p><p> </p><p>“We thought he was dead, Theo!” Pansy exclaimed, “But he isn’t, he’s back now, and I love him.”</p><p> </p><p>“You love <em>him</em>,” Theo said bitterly.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy sighed, “I’m sorry if that’s hard for you to hear, but I love him, and I can’t lose him. So if you love me, Theo, you can never tell him what happened.”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever Pansy,” Theo said scathingly, “Just…whatever.”</p><p> </p><p>He left the cupboard without another word and walked back into the bathroom, trying to ignore the knowing ‘I told you so’ look that Sadie was shooting his way.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>While Draco had been escaping the clutches of his father at Malfoy Manor, Neville and Ginny had attempted to steal the sword of Gryffindor and had failed tremendously. Despite their agreement to never go on missions together, they had done this time and they had both been caugh.</p><p> </p><p>That was how they ended up in cells in the dark tower. There were air vents between each cell so they could talk to each other through them.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re going to die.”</p><p> </p><p>“Try and be a bit more optimistic, Ginny,” Neville said. He rested his head against the cold, damp wall.</p><p> </p><p>“They are going to kill us, Neville,” Ginny said quietly, “Make an example of us. They know Harry and I dated, they’ll probably put my head on a spike to piss him off.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t say that,” Neville said irritably, “It doesn’t help us.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing is going to help us,” Ginny said pointedly, “No one is going to help us. We’re stuck here, and Luna is god knows where. She hasn’t come back, so maybe the Death Eaters got to her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or maybe she’s in hiding.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or maybe she’s dead,” Ginny said coolly, “It’s a genuine possibility. Just like it’s a genuine possibility that Bill and Charlie have died on one of their overseas missions or that Fred and George have been caught and killed for their radio show or that You-Know-Who has killed Harry and Ron. I’m being a realist Neville, and the real world is a pretty fucking horrific place right now.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville groaned and let his head rest in his hands, “Yes, we’re stuck here, but that doesn’t mean that nobody can get us out. Lilly isn’t just a good Healer, she’s a brilliant Witch and Susan could be an Auror come the end of this, she’s got so much power. Then there’s Seamus, do you think he’ll just sit by and leave us here?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I think he’ll blow something up and get caught,” Ginny remarked dryly.</p><p> </p><p>“There’s no reasoning with you bloody Weasley’s,” Neville groaned, “If you just want to talk about how we’re going to die, could you do it quietly? Because I’m trying to come up with a way to get us out of here.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny sighed, and they fell silent.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The Room of Requirement fell into an uneasy silence after Nearly Headless Nick dropped the bombshell that Neville and Ginny had been caught and taken to the Dark Tower.</p><p> </p><p>Someone had to break it, and that person was Lilly.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, who is volunteering to go on the rescue mission then?” She asked as she jumped up onto the desk.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll go,” Susan said instantly, “Neville and Ginny got me out of that tower.”</p><p> </p><p>Seamus nodded and raised his hand, “I’d put my life on the line for them like they did for me.”</p><p> </p><p>Lavender and Parvati raised their hands too, and so did Hannah.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly surveyed the rest of them, “So that’s it then? They find a safe haven for you and give you sanctuary. They put their lives on the line to keep you safe and fed, and only six out of the fifteen returning DA members are willing to return that kindness?”</p><p> </p><p>None of the others raised their hands, and Lilly shook her head, “We’ll remember that when the time comes and <em>you </em>need saving,” she said as she jumped off of the desk and said to the volunteers, “Briefing area.”</p><p> </p><p>They followed her there silently.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly flipped the board and studied the plan of the Dark Tower.</p><p> </p><p>“How are we going to get them out?” Susan asked in the eerie silence.</p><p> </p><p>“With a multi-pronged attack,” Lilly answered. She turned the board around and flicked her wrist. The chalk began to draw a basic plan of Hogwarts up as she continued, “We need to make them think that there are more of us than there are. We also need to distract them, so we launch an attack on multiple fronts.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan smiled, “That’s clever.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m a Ravenclaw, I’m good at planning,” Lilly said with a shrug, “Leading an army of school children, not so much. But here’s what I’m thinking, Parvati and Lavender take the last of the Peruvian darkness powder and cause a scene on the 4<sup>th</sup> floor which draws some of the Death Eaters on the sixth floor down. At the same time, Hannah and Michael will stage a distraction from the Astronomy Tower. I haven’t worked out what yet-”</p><p> </p><p>“Michael?” Susan asked with a frown.</p><p> </p><p>“Michael didn’t volunteer to help,” Parvati pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“I know he didn’t, but he’s my ex-boyfriend and friend with benefits. So, I’m going to tell him that he has no choice but to help rescue my childhood best friend,” Lilly retorted, “Anyway, lastly Susan and Seamus will use the Weasley swamp we’ve been keeping in reserve to block the sixth-floor corridor off. Then you guys will run up there, get Neville and Ginny out and open up one of the trap doors on the staircase. You’re going to jump-”</p><p> </p><p>“Woah,” Seamus cut in, “We’ll die.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, you won’t,” Lilly responded, “Because what the Carrows seem to have forgotten when they built their little murder house in that tower is that a bunch of teachers made an obstacle course to protect the Philosophers Stone when we were in first year.”</p><p> </p><p>“And?”</p><p> </p><p>“And when you put a Devils Snare underneath a school and let it grow, you can’t extract it without damaging the foundations of the building,” Lilly remarked.</p><p> </p><p>She finished, “In fifth year, Neville and I helped Professor Sprout tame it a little so that it didn’t make the school structurally unsafe, but it had already spread to the Western quadrant.”</p><p> </p><p>“Under the tower,” Susan realised.</p><p> </p><p>“So once you fall, you just need to relax, and it will drop you into the underground harbour where the boats bring the first years in,” Lilly said, “From there, Terry and Ant will help you all back to the Room of Requirement. Any questions?”</p><p> </p><p>They all raised their hands.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Hannah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Terry and Anthony haven’t volunteered either,” Hannah said.</p><p> </p><p>“And you’re not shagging either of them,” Susan said, an amused smile playing on her lips.</p><p> </p><p>“No, but I saved Terry’s life while we were on the run together and I know who Ant snogged in a broom closet last year. That’s something he does not want to come out of the closet,” Lilly smirked, “So I’m sure I will be able to convince them to help. Further questions?”</p><p> </p><p>She turned to Susan, “Suse?”</p><p> </p><p>“How sure are you that we’ll survive the six-floor drop, even with the Devils Snare to cushion our fall?” Susan asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want a percentage?” Lilly asked.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I kinda just wanted you to say that you were completely sure,” Susan said, narrowing her eyes at the Ravenclaw.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’m about 95% sure. There’s a genuine chance you could break bones, and if one of those bones is your spine or your neck, then you might die so I’ll stick with 95%,” Lilly answered.</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, you’re not great with encouragement, are you Lil?” Seamus asked.</p><p> </p><p>Susan snorted, “Yeah if you want to be a Healer after this you’ll need to work on your people skills. Saying to someone, sorry but you’ve been attacked by a dragon, and you’re going to die when they need hope in their final moments isn’t the most ethical way forward.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, Susan,” Lilly said with a roll of her eyes, “Let’s try it again. Susan, you’re going to be fine. The Devils Snare will cushion your fall; you have my full faith that you will survive to tell the story to your kids and their kids and their kids-”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up you absolute eejit,” Susan said, smiling fondly at Lilly as she got to her feet, “I’m okay with the 95% survival rate. How about you, Seamus?”</p><p> </p><p>“Can I blow something up?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Lilly snorted, “Hannah, try and think of a distraction to draw the Death Eaters to the Astronomy tower. You can kiss Michael if you need to, we’re not exclusive, but just be warned, he’s a very wet kisser.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan snorted in amusement as Hannah blushed.</p><p> </p><p>“Where are you going?”</p><p> </p><p>“To blackmail Terry and Ant into going on the rescue mission,” Lilly replied as she began to walk away. She turned around and smirked at Susan, “And to convince Michael.”</p><p> </p><p>Hannah followed her, and Susan turned to Lavender and Parvati, “Holy Helga. She’s going to shag someone just to rescue Neville, and he thinks that they are just friends. Which one of them is more bloody stupid?”</p><p> </p><p>“Gryffindor boys,” Lavender chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>“So clueless,” Parvati agreed.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>After curfew that evening, Lilly stood in the briefing area with her team of fighters, and Susan asked the question that was on everyone’s minds, “Why aren’t you coming, Lilly?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because I made Neville a promise,” Lilly replied simply, “When I came back here, he said that I could stay as long as I didn’t leave this room.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you’ve fallen out since then,” Seamus said.</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t matter,” Lilly said with a shrug, “We were friends for a long time before the events of the last couple of years made us drift apart. I made him a promise, and I intend to keep it, even if he hasn’t kept his.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s noble of you babe,” Michael said.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly rolled her eyes, “Don’t call me babe. I’m not your babe. I’m not even your girlfriend.”</p><p> </p><p>“No you’re a bloody awesome warrior princess,” Terry said with a grin, “You’re like Princess Leia when she got all authoritative and-”</p><p> </p><p>“Terrance, stop talking.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan snorted.</p><p> </p><p>“I have complete faith that you will all survive,” Lilly said calmly, “But I have the hospital wing ready for a rush just in case, and I also convinced Stevie to give me one of the bottles of Ogden’s that he snuck in here, so there’s a stiff drink waiting for you all when you get home.”</p><p> </p><p>Michael leant in and murmured, “Can I get a special present if I come back alive?”</p><p> </p><p>“Mikey, if you bring Neville back, you can have whatever you want,” Lilly replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Can you kiss me, in case I die?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re impossible,” Lilly muttered, but she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes and kissed him anyway.</p><p> </p><p>She drew back and clapped her hands, “Right then troops. Good luck, bon voyage, I’ll see you on the flipside.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan smiled at her, “What was it that your Dad used to say before he left for Japan?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not goodbye, it’s see ya later,” Lilly said with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“See ya later Lil,” Susan said, hugging her friend.</p><p> </p><p>“See ya later, Suse.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Ginny’s lack of hope had made Neville feel depressed. They had been in the tower for nearly two days, and they weren’t dead yet. Neville reckoned that was because Voldemort wanted to question them himself. But the Carrows had done some pretty horrific things to them. They had gotten bored of using the cruciatus curse alone, so they had experimented with other forms of dark magic. They had shattered both of Neville’s knee caps and broken several of Ginny’s fingers. They had used cutting curses and left them to bleed; then they had healed them and done it all over again.</p><p> </p><p>When they heard footsteps on the stairs, they automatically assumed that it was the Carrows or the Death Eaters. So when the doors of their cells burst open, and they were faced with Susan and Seamus, they were both incredibly relieved.</p><p> </p><p>“You came.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course we came you eejit,” Seamus said to Neville, “You didn’t leave us. Why would we leave you?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled weakly, “I can’t walk.”</p><p> </p><p>“Right, I need you to be a bit more healed, or you’ll never survive the fall,” Seamus said.</p><p> </p><p>“The fall?” Neville asked warily.</p><p> </p><p>Seamus nodded, “I’m going to do a basic healing charm, so it’s gonna hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville gritted his teeth, “Do it.”</p><p> </p><p>Seamus did the spell, and Neville cried out in pain as all the bones in his body mended themselves at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>“You alright, mate?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but Seamus, what do you mean by the fall?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s alright Nev, Lil thinks we’ll survive it,” Seamus said.</p><p> </p><p>“She <em>thinks </em>we’ll survive it?”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s 95% sure.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll take that,” Neville said as he left the cell with Seamus.</p><p> </p><p>In the cell next door, Susan ran over and shook Ginny awake, “Gin, we need to go honey.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny opened her eyes weakly, “Susan?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, we’re getting you out,” Susan said with a smile, “But I need to heal you and wake you up a bit first, and I need to do it fast, so it’s going to hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>“Get it over with then,” Ginny said weakly.</p><p> </p><p>Susan did the same spell that Seamus had. It mended every broken bone in her body, and she screamed in pain. Susan grimaced and handed her a potion which restored her energy levels.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you ready?” Susan asked.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny got to her feet shakily, “Yeah, how are we going to get out?”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re going to jump,” Susan said, she helped Ginny out of the cell, and they met up with Neville and Seamus on the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>Seamus threw a decoy detonator onto the trapdoor, and it flipped open. He caught the little robot and threw it down the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>“So the plan was to get us out so we can all die together?” Ginny asked sarcastically.</p><p> </p><p>Susan shook her head, “There’s a Devils Snare down there.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville frowned, “Oh…shit, so there is.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re such a Gryffindor,” Susan snorted.</p><p> </p><p>Seamus looked down into the depths of the school, “So how much do we trust Lilly then?”</p><p> </p><p>“How far down is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Six floors,” Seamus answered.</p><p> </p><p>“With my life,” Neville said, “Geronimo!”</p><p> </p><p>They watched him jump into the trapdoor and waited for a thump or a scream, but nothing came.</p><p> </p><p>“Right, that’s good enough for me,” Susan said, and she jumped down after him.</p><p> </p><p>“You next Gin,” Seamus said as footsteps began to thunder up the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny closed her eyes and jumped, then Seamus followed her down as the Carrows rounded the corner of the staircase.</p><p> </p><p>“Can anyone reach their wand?” Ginny asked in the darkness.</p><p> </p><p>“No, why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because my feet aren’t touching the ground and I want to know how much further we’ll fall when we relax,” Ginny replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Not far, and you’ll land in-”</p><p> </p><p>There was a splash.</p><p> </p><p>“I think he was going to say water.”</p><p> </p><p>There was another splash.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny took a deep breath and relaxed then she slid through and landed in the water too. She came up, spluttering for air and was dragged out by Neville.</p><p> </p><p>Susan performed a drying charm on her; then they helped Seamus out of the water.</p><p> </p><p>“That went swimmingly,” Susan remarked as she turned to the door which was being guarded by Terry and Anthony, “Any unwanted visitors boys?”</p><p> </p><p>“Just Filch’s cat, but we stunned her,” Terry replied, “We good to get the hell out of here now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Definitely,” Neville replied as he led from the front once more, “But we now have seven floors to climb, and the Carrows will be looking for us.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or they’ll think we’re all dead,” Susan said optimistically.</p><p> </p><p>“Ever the optimist Suse, it’s what I love about you,” Neville joked.</p><p> </p><p>“How the hell are we going to do this then?” Seamus asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I think I know,” Ginny said with a smile, “A rendezvous with a Slytherin taught me that we don’t know where all of the secret passages are.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smirked and murmured in her ear, “So Greengrass is good for more than a snog then?”</p><p> </p><p>Susan raised an eyebrow at Ginny, “You and Daphne, huh? Well, I <em>am </em>jealous. Lead the way.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny ignored Susan’s comment and did just that. She got them as far as the fourth floor then she ran out of ideas. At that point, Terry waded in with an incredibly useful comment, “Do you reckon we should use the secret passageway in the restricted section?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Neville muttered, “You’re a genius, Terry.”</p><p> </p><p>Terry frowned and followed him, “I thought everyone knew about that,” he mumbled to Anthony.</p><p> </p><p>“So did I,” Anthony replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Ravenclaws,” Susan sniggered.</p><p> </p><p>They used the passage which brought them out on the seventh floor in a room called the Hall of Hexes. It was next to the East Tower, which had fallen out of use as the school's population declined.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, there were no Death Eaters on the seventh floor, so they had a clean run back to the Room of Requirement. When they got in, Lilly was busy in the hospital wing.</p><p> </p><p>She glanced over and grinned when she saw them, “You did it! See, I told you that you probably wouldn’t die!”</p><p> </p><p>Susan looked up and caught her breath, “Was it really a 95% chance that we’d survive?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, but I figured you wouldn’t go if I told you the truth,” Lilly remarked, “Stevie, hand me that balm, I’ve got a third-degree burn to heal.”</p><p> </p><p>She turned back to the main group, “Any injuries?”</p><p> </p><p>“A dodgy bloke fixed my broken bones,” Neville said, glancing at Seamus in amusement.</p><p> </p><p>“Sit down over there, and I’ll fix you up. You’ll get plagued with arthritis before you’re thirty otherwise,” Lilly said, she looked the rest of them over, “Ginny, you don’t look well. Lie down over in the amber area, and I’ll get to you in a second.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny did as she was told, and Susan asked, “Can I help?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Lilly said honestly, “Hold Hannah’s hand while I put this dittany balm on because it’s going to hurt like hell, and she’ll need a friend.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan sat down by her best friends side and did just that while Lilly applied the balm to a bad burn on her lower leg.</p><p> </p><p>“Stevie, get me some pepper-up potion for Parvati,” Lilly added. She turned back to Hannah, who was crying with the pain, “I know it hurts Hannah, but you’re doing brilliantly,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled from where he was sitting in the green area, where Lilly had told him to sit. She was a natural as she dashed around the hospital wing, giving orders to Stephen Cornfoot who seemed to be her skivvy. She wrapped Hannah’s burn, forced a pepper-up potion down a pale Parvati then fixed a broken wrist for Lavender. Once she was done, she turned around and looked at Neville, “I’ll get to you in a minute, but you’re low priority.”</p><p> </p><p>“Just keep doing your thing,” Neville said with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly walked over to Ginny’s bed and did a diagnostic charm on her, “How are you feeling, Ginny? You’re awfully hot.”</p><p> </p><p>“I just feel drained,” Ginny admitted.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly frowned and cast a more sophisticated diagnostic charm, “Your magical core is drained. That’s unusual, did they use any strange spells on you?”</p><p> </p><p>“There were a few with incantations that I didn’t recognise,” Ginny admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Well I’ll run a full diagnostic charm, but it will take all night to give me the results,” Lilly said, “In the meantime, we’ll keep you in bed and keep an eye on your magic and energy levels so-”</p><p> </p><p>She cut herself off when Michael appeared behind her, “Oh for the love of – would you <em>piss off</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>“You said you’d give me anything I wanted if I got Neville back,” Michael said, he waggled his eyebrows at her.</p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t get Neville back. You staged a useless distraction on the Astronomy Tower and got Hannah injured,” Lilly objected.</p><p> </p><p>“But a promise is a promise, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Michael, this is over,” Lilly said slowly, “It was over last year when I broke up with you. It’s not even been <em>on</em> this year; it’s just been sex, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, but-”</p><p> </p><p>“No buts, I’m done with it.”</p><p> </p><p>“You owe me one last time,” Michael objected.</p><p> </p><p>“Michael,” Lilly said in exasperation, “I’ll have sex with you, but it will be sympathy sex.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, I don’t care. It’s still sex.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re disgusting. Get out of my hospital wing, there are sick people here, and your face is making them more ill,” Lilly said, shoving him away with a blast of magic.</p><p> </p><p>She turned back to Ginny, who looked mildly amused, “He’s disgusting, isn’t he?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny laughed weakly, “Yeah, he’s pathetic. He cried when I broke up with him; he was begging me not to do it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh Godric, like ugly crying?” Lilly asked.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny laughed again, “Exactly.”</p><p> </p><p>“This is why I don’t like dating Ravenclaw guys,” Lilly said with a shake of her head, “Hufflepuffs are nice, but a bit too sweet for me. Slytherins…I must admit, I do quite like a snarky Slytherin.”</p><p> </p><p>“Gryffindors are more up your street,” Ginny said with a knowing look, “Because you’ve got a lot of Gryffindor in you, yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I don’t know,” Lilly shrugged, “Never dated a Gryffindor, always thought they were a bit big-headed though. Then everyone fancied Harry, and I just didn’t see it, I thought he was a bit of a nerd with a scar really.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’d love you,” Ginny laughed, “He hates it when people like him for his fame.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly chuckled, “I like people for who they are, not who they pretend to be,” she said simply.</p><p> </p><p>“You’d like Dean then,” Ginny said with a smile, “He was a real keeper. If there was ever a ‘one who got away’ for me, it would be him.”</p><p> </p><p>“He seems like a nice guy,” Lilly said with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny nodded thoughtfully, “Lilly, I know we’re not really friends, and I know you don’t approve of what I’m doing with Neville, but Susan told me that it was your plan that got us out so thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly shrugged, “You’re welcome.”</p><p> </p><p>“And I know that you’re right,” Ginny added, “About Neville and me, but it’s not like I’m leading him on. I like him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course you do, anyone with eyes can see that,” Lilly said softly, “But it’s more complicated than that when people can get hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“Since we’re not really friends, can I be blunt with you?” Lilly asked her.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked up and nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“You and Harry have broken up, so you feel like it’s okay to be with Neville,” Lilly said, “But think about it from a different perspective. How would you feel if Harry got back and killed Voldemort then told you that he couldn’t get back together with you because he had fallen in love with Hermione and slept with her while he was away?”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny’s frown deepened, “I would feel betrayed and hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly nodded, “And that’s what you and Neville are doing to Harry right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, that makes me sound like a real bitch,” Ginny said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Well…yeah,” Lilly said bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>“I need to break things off with Neville.”</p><p> </p><p>“The damage might already be done though,” Lilly pointed out, “Once you break trust like that…you can’t get it back. If you both survive the war, you and Harry might not be able to get back what you had before.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Lilly,” Ginny sighed, “Do you think you could give me some space to think things over? I’m feeling pretty done in.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly nodded and rested her hand on Ginny’s shoulder, “Get some rest,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>She turned away from Ginny’s bed and grabbed some skele-gro out of the cabinet then walked over to Neville, “So you are going to want to lie down because I’m going to have to re-break those bones then heal them properly.”</p><p> </p><p>“I had a feeling that you were going to say that,” Neville admitted. He hobbled onto a bed and lay back with a sigh, “I gather thanks are in order.”</p><p> </p><p>“I just told them what to do,” Lilly said, “They got you out.”</p><p> </p><p>She cast a numbing charm on his knees and began her work, “You really ought to thank Susan, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati. Don’t bother thanking Michael, Terry or Ant; I had to bribe or blackmail them into helping.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled slightly, “The way Susan put it, you slept with Michael to get him to rescue me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I was sleeping with Michael anyway, but now I’m not because he’s a pathetic urchin and I feel like I should raise my standards,” Lilly said matter of factly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Neville agreed, “You should. How sure were you really that we would survive the fall by the way? Because by my maths, you had no way of calculating the density of the Devils Snare, which meant that you were guessing based on the rate of growth and the rate of the spread.”</p><p> </p><p>“I was guessing on all counts,” Lilly admitted, “And honestly, it was 50/50 whether it would work or not, but there wasn’t another option.”</p><p> </p><p>“You could have gotten two people killed by trying to save us,” Neville said, his eyes met hers.</p><p> </p><p>“And that’s why I’m not in charge. I’m logical; I prioritise the lives that matter most, I’m too much of a Ravenclaw. You, on the other hand, you care about every life, and you think that they all matter. That’s why you’re in charge, that’s why all of these people admire you,” Lilly said softly, “Harry might be the boy who lived, but you are the boy who inspired.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville laughed and looked down, “Does this mean we’re friends again?”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you going to stop making reckless decisions?” Lilly asked.</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked over at Ginny and nodded, “Yes, I am.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you going to start listening to me?” Lilly followed it up with.</p><p> </p><p>Neville caught her eye, “Yeah, Lil, I am.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly smiled, “Then we’re friends again.”</p><p> </p><p>She handed him a glass, “Drink this and try to sleep. It’s probably going to be the most uncomfortable night of your life.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville laughed, “You need to work on your bedside manner.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not the first person to tell me that,” Lilly said, shooting him an amused look as she walked away to check on Hannah.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Over and Again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is based on an episode of Stargate Atlantis called “The Real World”. I was watching it the night I wrote this chapter so I thought it would be an interesting avenue to go down! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>As January wore on, both the Slytherins and the group of rebels in the Room of Requirement stayed put. Theo’s recovery was going well, but he was still frail, and Draco needed time to heal too.</p><p> </p><p>The others had noticed that he had been different since he got back from Malfoy Manor. He had been more distant; he jumped whenever someone touched him. He flinched at little noises and generally seemed to be on edge. He didn’t talk to anyone about what had happened to him in the Manor at first.</p><p> </p><p>Theo asked, but Draco said that he didn’t want to talk about it and it only came spilling out of his mouth one night towards the end of January because he had woken up from a nightmare.</p><p> </p><p>He sat up in bed, soaked in sweat and Pansy sat up sleepily, “Draco, are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>He had been right back there, being tortured and threatened. But in his nightmare, they had been threatening Pansy, and he had been screaming at them. He turned to look at her, his eyes wide and full of fear, and he kissed her.</p><p> </p><p>She gasped in surprise but returned the kiss. Since he got back, he had been distant, and when Pansy kissed him, he shied away from it. But after that nightmare, he just had to feel her and taste her; he just had to know that she was alive and real and <em>right here</em>.</p><p> </p><p>He rolled over as he kissed her with a fervour that was unusual for him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer, running her hands over his body.</p><p> </p><p>He shivered at her touch and pulled her t-shirt off; then he slipped her shorts off. She reached down and removed his boxers. Draco shifted so that he was above her and then he moved his lips from her neck and kissed his way down her body, leaving her gasping and shivering.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, please,” She moaned.</p><p> </p><p>Draco moved up the bed and captured her lips again. He kissed her just as passionately as he had before, as if iy was the last time he would ever hold her. She felt a surge of guilt when he slid into her. Flashes of that first night with Theo unwittingly filled her head, and she tried her best to force them out, but it was hard when she reacted the same way to his touch that she had to Theo’s.</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t know if she could do it, if she could handle the lying. She wanted to cry and tell him the truth, then he sighed against her lips, “I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>Tears pricked her eyes, “I love you too,” she choked.</p><p> </p><p>“I love you so much,” Draco murmured as he moved against her, “I love you, Pansy.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy closed her eyes tightly as her guilt flooded her. She pulled him close and kissed him with the same desperation that he had kissed her with when he woke up from his nightmare.</p><p> </p><p>“I love you too Draco,” She whispered.</p><p> </p><p>And Merlin, she hoped that Theo was asleep.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>January wore on in the Room of Requirement too. Almost everyone injured in the Dark Tower recovered quickly, but Ginny had been hit with a leeching spell which had eaten away at her magic. It took Lilly a week to work out how to lift it and then lifting it had drained her own magic so much that she had slept for two days straight.</p><p> </p><p>Once magic had been leached, it took a long time to restore, so Lilly had put Ginny on bed rest for the rest of the month. She was under strict orders not to go on any raids until Lilly gave her the go-ahead to do so because it could take months for her magic to get back to normal.</p><p> </p><p>While Lilly looked after Ginny, the two girls got closer. Ginny and Neville had come to a mutual agreement that a relationship was too toxic to work, which also helped.</p><p> </p><p>They were all anxious about Luna, but there were no reports about her death or disappearance on Potterwatch, so they remained hopeful that she was just on the run. While Ginny had been on bed rest, they had all become pretty cooped up in the Room of Requirement. Neville used this opportunity to start planning an evacuation with Aberforth. They knew it was a possibility that they might need to evacuate the room, and possibly the whole school, at some point. An exit through the pub seemed to be the safest option.</p><p> </p><p>By February, things were looking glum. There had been no noticeable progress by the light outside of Hogwarts, and things within the school had reached a definite stalemate. That was when the radio started reporting more deaths than anything else.</p><p> </p><p>First, it was Angela Abbott, and Hannah cried for days. Susan didn’t leave her side, and the Hufflepuff contingent of the room seemed to go into mourning with her. Hannah’s mother was a Muggle-born, but a brilliant one who had become a pediatric Healer. Many of them had been fixed up after a nasty fall from a broom, or a potions experiment gone wrong in their pre-Hogwarts days by Angela Abbott.</p><p> </p><p>Then, scarcely a week later, news of the death of Oliver Rivers reached them. Oliver’s death shook them all because he had been a Hufflepuff in their year. He was a Muggle-born, and according to Potterwatch, he had died saving the kids from the orphanage that he stayed in after it was attacked by a band of drunken Death Eaters.</p><p> </p><p>On that same broadcast, they heard about Su Li, a Ravenclaw who had also been in their year at school. Her entire family had been murdered because her father had taken a stance against the Voldemort regime.</p><p> </p><p>That one hit Lilly hard.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Neville asked her that night when the broadcast ended. He had left Ginny on the sofa in the briefing area and walked over to Lilly as she stared resolutely out of the window.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly shook her head, “No.”</p><p> </p><p>“You were close,” Neville said quietly, “Was she your best friend?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve never had a best friend,” Lilly said stoically, “I have lots of friends. I was friends with Su and Morag. I mean that was more by selection than anything else, I realised early on that the other girls in my dorm were gossip queens, but Su was quiet and sweet. I liked her; she was innocent, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville just nodded,</p><p> </p><p>“And then there was Morag, and I loved her,” Lilly said with a smile, “Between her wild Scottish accent and my East End accent, we were like a comedy act. She was mad, and she was great, but she moved out to America…she’s at Salem, and I doubt she’ll come back once it’s all over.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly sighed and took a breath, “I’m one of these people, I just bounce around houses. I have friends everywhere, but none of them is my <em>best </em>friend. There’s Susan, you know? I used to hang around with her on break, her and Hannah.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville put an arm around her as she continued, “Then there were people like Hermione and Sadie. You know Sadie Cauldwell right, your first kiss?”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up,” Neville shot back with a smile</p><p> </p><p>Lilly smiled, “God knows what she’s doing now. I used to hang around in the library with them, but that was the extent of our friendship. The closest I’ve ever had to a best friend is you, Nev.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked out into the night, “I know that feeling Lil. I’ve got Harry, but he’s also got Ron and Hermione, and you can tell that they're more important to him than me. I mean he took them on the run with him, not me.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly leant against him as he spoke, “And I’ve got Dean and Seamus, but they’ve got each other. I’ve got Ginny, but she’s got Luna and all her friends in her year. The closest I’ve ever had to a best friend is you. Why did you think I was so pissed off when you came back? I’ve got all these friends, these headstrong, stubborn Gryffindor friends and they are all fighting. They are here, or they are on the run but then there was you, and you were safe.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then I came back,” Lilly said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad you did because I need you,” Neville said honestly, “Ginny, she stops me from going too far but you…you tell me when I need to go further. When I need to make a hard call that I’m too scared to make. You remind me of the consequences of me not making that call. It’s like between you; you two are my conscience.”</p><p> </p><p>“No wonder you’re such a good leader then,” Lilly said, nudging him in the ribs playfully, “With two great minds like that in your head.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville just laughed and smiled out into the night. It was nice to be back on speaking terms with Lilly.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Potterwatch reported all deaths, but in a different light. The likes of Angela Abbott, Oliver Rivers and Su Li got a minutes silence. But the likes of Violet and Tertius Davis got a mention in the section on the whereabouts of You-Know-Who and their affiliates.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“The parents of known Death Eaters, Icarus and Daedalus Davis, have been found murdered. Violet Davis was on the run with her husband, due to her Muggle-born status. She was caught by Snatchers, and Tertius died in a duel defending her. She was taken to the Ministry and given the Dementors kiss. Her sons remain at large, and her daughter has been classed as ‘missing’ having disappeared from Hogwarts.”</em>
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</p><p>Tracey took herself into the bedroom at that news, and Daphne followed her silently. Although Sadie was friends with them both, those two were best friends, so she left them to mourn. Draco disappeared with Pansy, which left Theo and Sadie alone in the living area of the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>“Who next?” Theo asked with a shake of his head, “I can’t tell if my stepmother is as in love with the Dark Lord as my father, or if she is just a very good actress. And then what of Lacey? She has grown up with that vicious beast for a father the same way that I did. If it weren’t for the people in my life, I’d have turned to the dark side so what’s to say that she won’t?”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s a kid, Theo,” Sadie said softly, “Her opinions can be changed. She’ll come to Hogwarts and fall in love, or make great friends. Those things change you.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo scoffed, “Love? Really? It’s over-rated.”</p><p> </p><p>“Would you know?” Sadie quipped, “Have you ever been in love?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo sank onto the sofa next to her, “Once, I think. I’ve been thinking a lot, while I was in the tower and then when I was recovering. I’ve slept with a lot of girls, but it was always meaningless. It was a quick thrill, an encounter in a broom cupboard or behind a greenhouse, but it never meant more than that. Apart from maybe with…”</p><p> </p><p>“Susan.” Sadie finished.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Theo sighed, “But I fucked that one up before it got off the ground. I liked her though. She was smart and funny. I think the timing was just all wrong.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well her aunt had just died, and you had just been tortured by your father for harbouring Draco when he ran away from home,” Sadie pointed out, “So yes, it probably wasn’t the best timing.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo turned his head to look at Sadie, “I thought I was in love with <em>her, </em>though,” he said, pointing towards the curtain that Draco and Pansy had disappeared behind.</p><p> </p><p>That hurt to hear, but Sadie looked at Theo anyway, “Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Theo said, “It was the first time I felt something more. I can’t describe it, but it wasn’t like I was just having sex with her, it was like there was a connection.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smiled sadly, “You had feelings, for the first time in your life.”</p><p> </p><p>“I guess so,” Theo mused, “Then she broke it off, and it hurt like hell. So if that’s love, I don’t think I’m a fan of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes well, love can hurt Theo,” Sadie said as she averted her gaze.</p><p> </p><p>“Have you ever been in love, Sade?” Theo asked, “You’ve never really had a long-term boyfriend, have you?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie shook her head, “No, but you can be in love with someone and not be in a relationship with them,” she said as she got to her feet.</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded thoughtfully.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie was angry at him, and she felt hurt by him. But he was her friend, and if he didn’t like her as anything more then she couldn’t punish him for it. She felt sorry for him, sitting there, looking like a slapped puppy. Theo was glad to have his best friend back, but he missed Pansy too.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie leant down and kissed him on the cheek, “Night, Theo.”</p><p> </p><p>“Night, Sade.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Amongst all of the death and suffering, the Slytherins suffered another blow that month when Daphne was caught helping first years in the dungeons. First years who were being experimented on and tortured by the sick Carrow regime. She was taken the tower and thrown in by Alecto.</p><p> </p><p>The evil red-headed woman grinned and said, “I wonder if Daddy will join us now that his heir is imprisoned.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne laughed, “My Daddy? Oh Alecto, did you miss the memo? My Daddy and I don’t exactly love each other very much. He set fire to our house and nearly killed us all when I was a kid. He is a piece of shit, and he knows that I think that of him so if you planned to put me in here to get him to join you, then sorry, but it’s not the best plan you’ve ever come up with.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto shook her head and raised her wand, “Didn’t Daddy teach you that being mouthy gets you killed?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, he tried, but I didn’t listen to much of what he said,” Daphne replied smoothly, “I think Theo might have missed the memo on that one too.”</p><p> </p><p>“You do realise that by your own admission, you just told us that we have no reason to keep you alive?” Alecto asked, raising an eyebrow at the blonde girl.</p><p> </p><p>“Kill me then,” Daphne shrugged, “I don’t mind dying by your hand. I would become a martyr though. I have my little gang of Slytherin rebels, and they would be outraged by my death. It would just spur them on against you, and I’m also pretty close with the leaders of the <em>other </em>rebellion in this school so it would incense them too. My death would probably be the final nail in the coffin; it would make them throw aside their differences and unite against their common enemy. Their common enemy being…oh yes, you and your bosom buddy of a brother.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto advanced on her, “Oh, we’re going to play it that way, are we?” she asked wickedly.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne glared at the woman in response.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, two can play at that game.”</p><p> </p><p>She placed her wand on Daphne’s temple and said, “<em>Manseritis pessimum somnum, exterreri solebat.”</em></p><p> </p><p>There was a flash of light, and Daphne’s head burned as if her brain was on fire. She screamed in pain and gripped her head tightly until the feeling passed.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto smirked down at her writhing body and said, “Sweet dreams,” before she shut the cell door on Daphne.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When Daphne opened her eyes, her breath caught in her throat. She was in Greengrass House, her family home, and there were flames all around her.</p><p> </p><p>She looked around and couldn’t see a way out. She didn’t have her wand even though she was an adult now. When this had actually happened, she had been six years old.</p><p> </p><p>“Astoria!” She shouted over the roar of the flames.</p><p> </p><p>There was no answer.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Daphne mumbled, “No…Astoria! ASTORIA!”</p><p> </p><p>When there was no answer, she ran through the flames and screamed when she felt them lick at her flesh. The heat, the smell of her flesh burning, it felt unbearably real. So much so that reality slipped away from her, and this became her reality.</p><p> </p><p>She ran through the house, floorboards falling away everywhere, fire crackling around her. She choked and coughed and ran, shouting for her sister. When she found her, she was in their favourite room, which made the blow hit even harder.</p><p> </p><p>Their parents had hated each other; their marriage had been as far from love as possible. When they had fought, Daphne and Astoria had escaped to the room at the top of the house. It was tiny, and it had housed a bell once upon a time.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Daphne cried when she saw her. She lay there, covered in ash.</p><p> </p><p>“Astoria, no,” Daphne sobbed. She dropped to her knees next to her sister and listened for a heartbeat, “NO!”</p><p> </p><p>The floor gave way, and they both fell into the flames. She felt herself die; she felt the fire consume her as the smoke choked her. Although her body was convulsing on the floor of the cell in the Dark Tower, she felt herself burning alive.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“How are we going to get Daphne out?” Draco asked. He paced the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“With difficulty,” Theo said darkly, “It gets harder every time.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care how hard it is, we need to get her out,” Draco said. It was clear that there was no negotiating this, “If I have to ask Longbottom for help again then I will. But we need a smart idea that involves as little fighting as possible because I’m not back to full fitness yet and Theo, you have just gotten better.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have an idea,” Sadie said quietly, “I don’t know if it’s a good one though.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, it’s an idea Sade,” Theo said, he smiled weakly at her, “And if it’s yours then it’s probably a great one.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smiled, “Why don’t we use the ghosts?”</p><p> </p><p>“The ghosts?” Tracey echoed.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded, “Right at the start of the year, Neville came to ask my advice about something. He wanted to know how to get the Baron on his side. At the time, I didn’t understand why but now I think I get it. I think the ghosts are being their eyes and ears, so they don’t need to use scouts like we do.”</p><p> </p><p>“How does that help us get Daphne out of the tower?” Pansy asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Because the ghosts can do more than just listen,” Theo said, looking at Sadie in amazement, “You’re amazing.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie blushed a little, “It’s not even my idea really, it’s Neville’s-”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh quit being modest,” Theo grinned, “Tell us the rest of the plan.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie bit her lip, “What if we convinced Peeves to make a loud noise a few floors down then got the Baron to tell the Death Eaters that the rebels were in the dungeons? The Death Eaters would believe the Baron because they were almost all in Slytherin at school. It would draw all of the Death Eaters as far away from the Tower as possible, which would allow us to get Daphne out with minimal fighting.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco smiled slightly, “Theo, you’re right. She’s brilliant.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know she is,” Theo said proudly.</p><p> </p><p>“Last question, how do we summon the Baron?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes…” Sadie said sheepishly, “That’s the complicated bit. It involves a ritual.”</p><p> </p><p>“A ritual?” Theo echoed.</p><p> </p><p>“A blood ritual,” Sadie finished.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course it does,” Draco muttered with a roll of his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Kinky bastard that Baron.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie rolled her eyes, “No, Theo, he was just a Pagan.”</p><p> </p><p>“Any volunteers then?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll do it,” Theo said.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked at his best friend in disbelief, “You’ll do it? Theo, you and Daphne aren’t exactly friends. Why would you volunteer?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because I actually quite like her, but don’t tell her that,” Theo said with a grin, “She’ll get big-headed. Let her think we hate each other for a bit longer.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie shook her head in amusement, “So you do have a heart,” she said, cocking her head at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I do, it’s just all small and hairy like the Warlocks,” Theo said.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie made a face, “You’re disgusting. Give me your hand.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo held his hand out, and Sadie said, “Relashio.”</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t even hiss in pain. Sadie turned his hand over and squeezed a small amount of blood out onto the bathroom floor.</p><p> </p><p>“Tracey, can you heal him?”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey nodded and healed Theo’s hand with a silent wave of her wand.</p><p> </p><p>“Incendio!” Sadie said, pointing her wand at the blood. It burst into flames, and she said, “Baron, Baron, Baron. We give you blood in exchange for your assistance.”</p><p> </p><p>Everything in the bathroom shook. Pansy grabbed Draco in alarm; he wrapped an arm around her.</p><p> </p><p>All of the papers on the desk flew off, then the Baron appeared in the middle of the bathroom. He shook his head and dusted himself down, “A blood ritual? Well, that is certainly interesting. It has been at least a century since the last one of them.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smiled weakly, “My apologies Baron, but we need your assistance.”</p><p> </p><p>While Sadie began to negotiate with the Baron, Theo muttered to Draco, “Fuck me, it’s the quiet ones you need to watch isn’t it? Sweet little Sadie summoning a ghost with dark magic?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sweet little Sadie would do anything to help those she loves,” Draco returned, “You should have seen her when you were imprisoned in the Dark Tower.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t deserve a friend like her,” Theo said as he watched Sadie talk to the Baron.</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head in disbelief and caught Pansy’s eye. The dark-haired girl smiled weakly at him in return.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When Daphne woke up, she was confused. She had just died, so why was she in a cellar? She sat up and looked around warily, but she was alone.</p><p> </p><p>She jumped as the door opened, and a masked Death Eater grabbed her. He dragged her up the stairs into a house, and she realised that she was in Malfoy Manor. She was taken to the drawing-room where Draco was kneeling before Voldemort.</p><p> </p><p>He caught her eye, and she saw the fear shining there.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” She whispered as she realised what was about to happen, “Draco, no.”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, girl!” One of the Death Eaters roared. With a whip of his wand, he slashed her face, and she felt hot blood trickle down her chin as the fresh wound stung.</p><p> </p><p>She watched as Draco offered his arm and grimaced in pain as he was marked. She cried silently as she was forced to watch the boy she had loved become a monster.</p><p> </p><p>Then a girl, around their age, was brought in. Her hands and feet were tied. She was thrust onto her knees at Draco’s feet, and Voldemort told him that she was Muggle scum and therefore had to die.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne watched Draco hold his wand, his hand shaking as he pointed it at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Kill her!” Voldemort hissed.</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Daphne shrieked.</p><p> </p><p>“Avada Kedavra!” Draco cursed her.</p><p> </p><p>The girl fell lifelessly to the ground, and Draco’s eyes hardened.</p><p> </p><p>“NO!”</p><p> </p><p>“Bring me the girl!” Voldemort snapped.</p><p> </p><p>The Death Eater holding her brought Daphne forward and threw her down roughly at Voldemort’s feet.</p><p> </p><p>“She’s young,” Voldemort said. He reached down and grabbed Daphne’s chin, “And pretty. She will be a precious asset.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Daphne spat, “No! I will never join you! I would rather die!”</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort smiled cruelly, “And feisty. She reminds me of Lily Potter, she died kicking and screaming too.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Draco said quietly, “Please my lord. She is important to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Important?” Voldemort asked.</p><p> </p><p>“They are betrothed to one another, my lord,” Narcissa answered.</p><p> </p><p>“I see,” Voldemort said. He surveyed Daphne for a moment, “Then we shall mark her.”</p><p> </p><p>“No!”</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne, don’t fight it,” Draco said, “It will hurt more.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, Draco!” Daphne shrieked as she kicked and thrashed to try and escape the Death Eaters grasp, “Don’t let him do it!”</p><p> </p><p>“It will be better this way,” Draco said with a sordid smile, “We can be together.”</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Daphne screamed as Voldemort’s wand was pressed against her arm, “NO!”</p><p> </p><p>The pain was unbearable as the mark was burned onto her skin. She screamed, and tears burned in her eyes. She looked at Draco with such an intense hatred for allowing this to happen to her.</p><p> </p><p>When it was finished, she slumped down and gasped.</p><p> </p><p>The moment she looked up, she had a wand thrust in her face, “Imperio!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Sadie’s plan worked perfectly. The Death Eaters were all drawn away from the tower which gave Theo, Sadie and Pansy a clear run into the Dark Tower. When they got to Daphne’s cell, they found her lying on the floor. She was unconscious, but her body twitched or convulsed every few seconds.</p><p> </p><p>“Enervate!”</p><p> </p><p>The spell did not affect her.</p><p> </p><p>“What have they done to her?” Pansy asked with a frown.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know, but we can’t work it out here,” Theo said. He picked Daphne up and put her over his shoulder, “Let’s get out of here before they get back.”</p><p> </p><p>The others agreed wholeheartedly with him, so they snuck back down to the bathroom and thankfully, made it there in one piece.</p><p> </p><p>“You got her,” Draco said, he breathed a sigh of relief</p><p> </p><p>“We got her, but something is wrong with her,” Sadie said, she pressed her hand against Daphne’s chest, “She’s burning up, and she won’t wake,”</p><p> </p><p>“Enervate didn’t work,” Theo added.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey knelt next to her best friend and cast a diagnostic charm, “Physically, she’s fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can you do that spell that Weasley did?” Draco asked, “The brainwave one?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think so,” Tracey said. She took a breath and concentrated on moving her wand in a particular pattern then the silver lines appeared above Daphne’s head.</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned when he saw the lines. They were moving steadily, and regularly spiking very high.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s…that’s bad…isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey nodded, her eyes darkened, “Yes, Draco, that’s bad. Those are not the brainwaves of someone in a coma. Those are the brainwaves of someone who is going about their everyday life, and you see the spikes like…that one?”</p><p> </p><p>The others nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s fear,” Tracey said, “Whatever is happening inside her head…she’s terrified.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well then wake her up!” Draco exclaimed.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t!” Tracey snapped, “She’s my best friend! Do you honestly think I would stand by and do nothing if there was anything that I could do to help? This isn’t a schoolboy curse; it’s dark magic!”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her friend, “It’s a nightmare curse, isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey nodded, Sadie could feel her tears against her neck.</p><p> </p><p>“A nightmare curse?” Pansy asked quietly, “I thought they were a myth.”</p><p> </p><p>“So did I,” Draco admitted, “That’s not just dark magic, it’s ancient magic.”</p><p> </p><p>“Does anyone even know how they work?” Theo asked.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey nodded, but Sadie shook her head, “Don’t Tracey. I’ll explain it.”</p><p> </p><p>The blonde girl turned to the others, “A nightmare curse traps the person in their worst nightmare. In Daphne’s head, she’s in her own living hell right now. To her, it feels real, like when we are dreaming. The world in her head is the real world to her.”</p><p> </p><p>“And we can’t wake her up from it?” Draco asked. He swallowed a lump in his throat.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie shook her head, “The only way to survive the curse is to overcome the fear. If she can do that, she will wake up but if not then…”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie couldn’t finish, but the others knew from her grimace and the pain written all over Tracey’s face that it was bad.</p><p> </p><p>“Then her body will perish,” Tracey said, her voice was choked, “We can keep her alive with liquidised food, and water. But...as long as she’s alive, she’s in a living hell.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my God,” Pansy uttered, bringing her hand up to her mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“So we’d be keeping her alive but keeping her in pain,” Theo realised.</p><p> </p><p>“And the longer she has to live through that…the higher the chance is that if she wakes up, she’ll never be the same Daphne again,” Tracey finished.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Daphne had lost all control. She had become the monster she had always tried her hardest not to be. She laughed a wicked, cruel laugh that sounded strange to her own ears. She pointed her wand at an un-armed wizard and yelled, “Crucio!”</p><p> </p><p>Flanking her on either side were Draco and Theo. They were all branded with dark marks; they were all loyal to their Dark Lord.</p><p> </p><p>But Daphne was the most vicious of them all. She was heartless and cold. So much so that the Dark Lord called her his Queen, his Ice Queen.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, stop playing with your food, Daphne,” Theo said with a grin.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smirked, “But Theo, it’s so much fun!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco laughed and put an arm around her shoulder, “I know it’s fun love, but you can’t keep the Muggle-born. The Dark Lord wants him delivered to him alive.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alive,” Daphne mused, “Did he say anything about the state he had to be in when he <em>got </em>there?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo grinned and put his arm around her other side, “Let’s take this one to the Dark Lord and then we’ll find you a new pet, love.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne grinned, “Excellent deal, boys! Stupefy!”</p><p> </p><p>The wizard fell to the ground, and Daphne flicked her wrist in his direction. He was immediately tied up. She levitated him into the air and said, “Well then I suppose we ought to get this one back to the Dark Lord. Why does he want him?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, he’s a Muggle-born, known affiliate of Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” Draco answered dryly.</p><p> </p><p>“Potter,” Daphne said, testing the name on her lips, “Now he will be a fun one to bring in one day. It’s a shame the Dark Lord wants to kill him personally.”</p><p> </p><p>“He hasn’t said anything about his little sidekicks though,” Theo remarked, “And I know how much you hate gingers.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh the Weasel will be an easy kill, it’s not fun when they are that easy,” Daphne rolled her eyes, “I think Granger will go kicking and screaming though. She’s all mine when we catch them.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“It’s getting worse,” Tracey said.</p><p> </p><p>“How can it be worse?” Pansy asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Her brainwaves,” Tracey said, her eyes on the silver lines, “The big spikes are gone.”</p><p> </p><p>“That means she’s not scared anymore, isn’t that a good thing?” Theo asked.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey shook her head, “No, it means the curse is beating her. She’s not scared because she’s lost control.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco groaned and sent a blast of magic across the bathroom, “Why can’t we do anything?” he roared.</p><p> </p><p>“Because this is her fight,” Sadie answered, “We can keep her alive, but she has to overcome her fear. She’s on her own.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Tracey said with a shake of her head, “She’s not!”</p><p> </p><p>She grabbed Daphne’s arm and spoke firmly, “You’re not alone Daphne. We’re all right here with you, and we always will be. Whatever you think is happening, it’s not real. You have to fight this. Do you understand me? You have to fight it!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *<br/></strong>
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  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. You've Got to Help Me Out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
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  <em>Fight it! Fight it! Fight it!</em>
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</p><p>The words echoed in Daphne’s head as she stood in the drawing-room of Malfoy Manor torturing Hermione Granger.</p><p> </p><p>The old her, the one that was trapped inside her own head, woke up. But she was so weak, and she didn’t know how she could fight back.</p><p> </p><p>She knew who that voice had belonged to. It was Tracey’s voice.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not real.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne ended the curse and Hermione collapsed in a heap on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing, Daphne?” Theo hissed.</p><p> </p><p>“The Dark Lord gave you strict orders!”</p><p> </p><p>“Kill the mudblood!”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne fought for control and heard Tracey’s voice again.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Daphne. Don’t listen to them. </em>
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</p><p>She turned around and saw Tracey standing in the doorway of the drawing-room.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>This way.</em>
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</p><p>Daphne ran after her, ignoring the spells and curses that she heard flying behind her. She ran into the corridor then stopped when she realised that she was trapped. Behind her were Draco, Theo and Lucius. In front of her were Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers.</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t escape this,” Bellatrix said.</p><p> </p><p>“And why would you want to?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>“You love us,” Theo continued.</p><p> </p><p>“You wouldn’t leave us.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne looked from them to Bellatrix and the brothers. There was no way out.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Back in the bathroom, Daphne’s brainwaves began to spike erratically.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re losing her,” Sadie said with unshed tears in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Theo grabbed Sadie’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey stared at her friend firmly, “Not yet we’re not,” she said. She moved her hand from Daphne’s arm and held her face, “Come on, Daphne.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Daphne. Come on. </em>
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</p><p>Daphne looked over sharply. Standing behind Draco and Theo was Tracey.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You’ve been hit with a nightmare curse. It’s making you live your own worst nightmare. I know what that is. I know what you’re going through right now. But do you really want to become what Harry Potter thought you were?</em>
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</p><p>Daphne frowned.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I know you remember what he said to Weasley after Potions that day in sixth year. Weasley asked why he had spoken to you when you were just another slimy snake. He said, oh I don’t know, she seemed nice, but you’re probably right, Ron. She’ll probably just end up married to an idiot like Malfoy.</em>
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</p><p>Daphne gripped her wand tightly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Is that what you want to become? The trophy wife of Draco Malfoy? The crazy bitch that sleeps with the Lestrange brothers? You’re more than that, and you need to fight this so <strong>fight</strong>.”</em>
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</p><p>Daphne lifted her wand and began to curse every single one of the Death Eaters in the corridor. She duelled, and she spun on her heel. She fought until she had nothing left then the world around her disappeared in a flash of white light, and a blur of grey.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“What just happened?” Sadie asked.</p><p> </p><p>They all blinked. The bathroom had just been flooded with white light.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey looked down at Daphne and saw her beginning to shuffle in her sleep, her eyelids fluttered.</p><p> </p><p>“It worked,” Tracey breathed.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne opened her eyes, and they were full of unadulterated terror.</p><p> </p><p>“It worked,” Tracey said, dropping to her knees and hugging her friend, “It worked!”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne raised her arm slowly and pulled Tracey onto the floor next to her, “What happened?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie sat down with them on the floor, “The Carrows decided that they couldn’t break you physically, so they tried to break you mentally.”</p><p> </p><p>“They used a nightmare curse on you, Daph,” Tracey explained.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne pushed herself into a sitting position, “So none of that was real?”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey shook her head, “It all happened in your head.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne frowned and looked down at her arm, it was unmarked, “It felt so real..”</p><p> </p><p>“Those curses are designed to break people mentally,” Sadie said softly, “I’m not surprised that it felt real.”</p><p> </p><p>“How long was I out for?” Daphne asked.</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t know for sure,” Draco answered, “If the Carrows put it on you as soon as they put you in the tower then a day, at most.”</p><p> </p><p>“A day?” Daphne asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “Did it feel like longer?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shut her eyes tightly and swallowed, “Yeah,” she said as the horrors of what had happened to her flashed behind her eyes, “It felt like weeks.”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey gripped her hand, “But you’re back now.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne turned to look at her friend, “Thanks to you.”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey smiled, “What are friends for?”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Daphne said in return.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Can’t sleep?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne looked up from her book and smiled weakly at Draco, “No. I’m not that eager to shut my eyes again after that.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t say that I blame you,” Draco said honestly. He dropped down next to her on the sofa, “Do you want to talk about what you saw?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed and shut her book, “My worst nightmare.”</p><p> </p><p>“Was it related to the fire?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>“To begin with, yes,” Daphne answered, “But then it got worse. My worst fear is becoming like the people I hate most.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“Your parents, my parents, and the Death Eaters,” Daphne elaborated, “I watched you take the dark mark, then I had it forced on me, and I was placed under the imperius curse. I became like your aunt.”</p><p> </p><p>“My aunt?” Draco asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne nodded, she looked at the opposite wall with a frown, “I tortured people, I killed people. I nearly killed Hermione Granger, and I would have done if Tracey hadn’t broken through to me. I know it was all in my head, but it felt so real. I could smell burning flesh when I was in that fire, and I could feel the pain of being branded by the Dark Lord.”</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head as if she was trying to shift the memories, “And through it all, I was flanked by you and Theo. You were my sidekicks.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco raised an eyebrow at her, “Like the Lestrange brothers with my aunt?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Exactly </em>like the Lestrange brothers with your aunt,” Daphne said, meeting his eye.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Draco said with wide eyes, “Well, I’m sure Theo would be-”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t even finish that sentence, Draco,” Daphne said, the ghost of a smile on her lips.</p><p> </p><p>Draco smiled, “It made you smile though. Didn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne thumbed the spine of her book, “It was terrifying, losing control like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Draco said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>“And it was scary to see how evil I could become, all because of an imperius curse.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco put his arm around her and sighed, “It’s a scary world we’re living in right now but you need to remember that who we are right now…this isn’t who will we be forever.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne leant into his embrace and nodded, “Who we are and who we need to be to survive are two very different things,” she agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Draco said, kissing her forehead, “But if we survive this, we’ll find ourselves again.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne wasn’t sure how much she believed that as she exhaled shakily and resisted the urge to fall asleep.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The following evening Potterwatch dealt them with another blow—the death of Cygnus Greengrass at the hands of the Death Eaters.</p><p> </p><p>They all looked to Daphne for her reaction.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Daphne scoffed, “You want me to cry for him because he didn’t join them? I don’t care how noble he was in death; he was an awful man!”</p><p> </p><p>“But Daphne, he was still your father-” Sadie began.</p><p> </p><p>“Not all of us love our father, Sadie!” Daphne snapped. She got to her feet and walked towards the bathroom door.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll stop her doing anything rash,” Tracey murmured. She dashed out after her best friend.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey caught her in the corridor, “You can’t go outside. Do you want to get caught again?”</p><p> </p><p>“I never want to go through that again,” Daphne said, she leant against the wall, unphased by the water in the corridor.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey waded through it and stopped in front of her, “Daphne, he was your father.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hated him,” Daphne said bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t hate him when you were a kid,” Tracey pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“I barely remember a time when I felt anything other than hatred for him,” Daphne said honestly, “I’m not sad that he’s dead. I’m sorry if that makes me heartless or cold. I’m sorry if that makes me the ice queen that I was in that fucking horrific nightmare.”</p><p> </p><p>“You <em>are</em> the ice queen,” Tracey said, gripping her friend's arms, “And it’s not because you’re cold or heartless. It’s because you are strong and impenetrable, just like ice. You are fucking brilliant Daphne. You broke free of a curse that should have killed you. It’s killed witches and wizards far older and wiser than you, but you beat it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Because of you,” Daphne pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“Because of Harry Potter,” Tracey added.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, here we go,” Daphne rolled her eyes, “I wondered how long it would take you to bring that up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well it was the thought of becoming the person that Harry Potter thought you would, that pulled you out of it,” Tracey pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“I regret ever telling you that I thought he was cute,” Daphne scoffed, “And that wasn’t what pulled me out of it. It was you telling me to fight because I was more than that. You were right; I am more than that. I’ll never be happy being a trophy wife. I’m sure Pansy will.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh so am I,” Tracey said.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne chuckled, “I want more than that.”</p><p> </p><p>“You deserve more,” Tracey said with a smile, “You’re awesome.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Trace,” Daphne said, pulling her friend in for a hug, “I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you too, but my legs are very wet. Could we maybe move this heart to heart out of the flooded corridor?” Tracey joked.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne laughed and nodded, “Yeah, come on.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>No one in the Room of Requirement had encountered the Slytherins for a while because Ginny’s recovery and increased security had kept them room-bound. At the end of February, however, they were forced to act.</p><p> </p><p>They got word from the ghosts that the Carrows had taken to torturing the younger students in the dungeons because the Dark Tower was reserved for rebels and traitors now. It had taken a bit of convincing, but Neville had persuaded the others that it made sense for one person to go in, create a distraction, and allow the younger students to escape.</p><p> </p><p>It had taken even more convincing when he put himself forward, but in the end, they had all agreed.</p><p> </p><p>Truthfully, it had gone entirely to plan until he heard footsteps thundering after him up a passageway out of the lower dungeons.</p><p> </p><p>He emerged on the second floor and ran towards Myrtle’s bathroom, hoping to find a passageway to the lake. He got halfway along the corridor when Draco Malfoy walked out of a wall.</p><p> </p><p>“Malfoy!” Neville hissed.</p><p> </p><p>“Longbottom!”</p><p> </p><p>“But you’re…”</p><p> </p><p>The footsteps got louder, “Get in here, you idiot.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco grabbed his hand and pulled him into the flooded corridor. Outside the Death Eaters kept running.</p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck, Malfoy?” Neville asked in disbelief, “You’re dead.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, no,” Draco said, “Did you miss the memo there, Longbottom? Hi, I’m Draco Malfoy. I’m very much alive. Do I look like a ghost to you?”</p><p> </p><p>“No but…”</p><p> </p><p>“Poke me. I’m not a ghost.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville narrowed his eyes at Draco and poked him in the chest.</p><p> </p><p>“Ouch,” Draco remarked dryly.</p><p> </p><p>“Huh,” Neville said, “Not a ghost.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, still alive.”</p><p> </p><p>“How?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, my heart is beating which is keeping my blood circulating-”</p><p> </p><p>“Malfoy,” Neville interrupted irritably, “How the fuck are you still alive? You were taken to Malfoy Manor. You should have been killed. Are you under an Imperius? Or have you turned to the dark side?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you guys actually call it the dark side? It sounds kind of cheesy.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville raised an eyebrow at him, “Draco, you guys call it the light side.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, we don’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, you do. I’ve heard you talking about it. Stop stalling and tell me how you wormed your way out of that one,” Neville demanded.</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you fight your way out?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Draco muttered, “My mother saved me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, at least you’ve got a Mum who can do that,” Neville shrugged, “Did you gather any intel while you were there? Anything at all that could be useful to us?”</p><p> </p><p>“Let me think about that,” Draco said dryly, “I learned that my father casts one hell of an imperius curse when he’s angry and that my aunt is a psycho who wanted to feed me to Greyback so that I could kill-”</p><p> </p><p>“Who?” Neville asked sharply.</p><p> </p><p>“Lovegood.” Draco said, “She’s in the cellar of the Manor. They put her there because they want her father to stop publishing bad press about the Dark Lord.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck!” Neville cursed angrily.</p><p> </p><p>“Look, Longbottom,” Draco said quickly, “I know you want to get her out, but you have to know your limits. You’re struggling to survive in this school against a small band of Death Eaters. I barely escaped that Manor and I helped to design the wards, I know every nook and cranny of the house, and I genuinely would have died there if it wasn’t for my mother. You cannot go and get her. It would take a miracle to get her out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’ll just have to come up with a miracle then.”</p><p> </p><p>“Neville, you can’t,” Draco said. This caught Neville’s attention because the Slytherin rarely used his first name.</p><p> </p><p>Draco continued, “You don’t understand how important you are here. You’re the one that they all look up to and if…if <em>he </em>ever comes here they are going to follow you,” Draco said quietly, “They won’t follow Potter. He’s been off doing whatever the fuck he’s doing, but you are the one who has kept them alive this year, and they will follow you.”</p><p> </p><p>“So I’m supposed to leave Luna to die?” Neville asked angrily.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Draco answered as he met the taller man's eye, “Because sometimes there is no choice. Sometimes a good person has to die for a better person to live. You Gryffindors don’t get that, you want to save everyone all of the time, but sometimes you can’t save everyone. Lovegood is a lost cause, but all those kids that you’re protecting in your secret lair? You can keep them alive, and you can’t prioritise one life over all of theirs.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hate you,” Neville said coolly. He took a step back, “You’re right, and I fucking <em>hate </em>you for it.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s the truth, as harsh as it is,” Draco said simply.</p><p> </p><p>Neville sighed and shook his head, “See you around, Malfoy,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>Without another word, he left Draco alone in the flooded corridor.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When Neville got back into the Room of Requirement that evening, he called an emergency briefing. He didn’t often put up silencing charms, but on this occasion, he did because he didn’t want to amass panic.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s happened?” Lilly asked cautiously while the silencing ward shimmered around them.</p><p> </p><p>“Malfoy is alive,” Neville said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Ginny asked sharply.</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “He survived the Manor and got back. His mother saved him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure he’s not a spy?” Seamus asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Pretty sure but I made sure I wasn’t followed back here anyway,” Neville said honestly, “But we’ve got bigger problems. I asked him if he gathered any intel while he was at the Manor and he said that Luna was imprisoned in the cellar there.”</p><p> </p><p>They were all shocked into silence. Ginny spoke first, “Is she still alive?”</p><p> </p><p>“She was when he escaped, but that was in January,” Neville replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Can we get her out?” Susan asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t see how,” Neville replied, staring resolutely ahead, “Malfoy is right, We’re barely managing in a school that we know well. We wouldn’t stand a chance in a building as highly warded as Malfoy Manor. It’s You-Know-Who’s Headquarters.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why does he want Luna?” Lilly asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“From what Malfoy said, I think they are holding her there to stop her father from publishing news stories about Harry and the light,” Neville replied honestly, “And that gives me hope that she’s alive.”</p><p> </p><p>“Because they are keeping her alive to keep her father in line,” Lilly realised.</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded.                                                 </p><p> </p><p>“But there’s nothing we can do for her,” Ginny stated.</p><p> </p><p>“I wish there was,” Neville said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny got to her feet and stalked off, “I’m fucking sick of this!”</p><p> </p><p>Susan followed her, and Neville let his head fall into his hands, “So am I,” he muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly got to her feet and rested her hands on his shoulders, “We all are, Nev.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>As February became March, the air got warmer, which brought a little bit of hope into their lives. Pansy got ill around the start of March. She could barely eat for a few days. Every night, she would throw up until her stomach was empty then crawl back into bed with Draco. She brushed it off as a sickness bug, but when it didn’t go away after a week, she started to get concerned.</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne jumped and turned around, “Pansy, why are you sneaking up on me in the supply cupboard?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because I need to ask you something,” Pansy said, she was pale and still looked very ill, “And I’m too scared to ask the others.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne was instantly worried, “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you know how to do the charm that detects pregnancy?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne’s eyes widened, “Pregnancy?”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy hushed her, “Keep your voice down. Do you know it?”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Daphne faltered, “I mean…yes, I do. I had a friend who had a close call last year.”</p><p> </p><p>“So can you do it?” Pansy asked nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“What, right here?” Daphne asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, right here,” Pansy snapped, “I need to know Daphne.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed and grabbed her wand out of her side pocket, “Okay. Just try and relax.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy did so, and Daphne cast the spell. It created a swirl of smoke around Pansy’s stomach. The smoke was grey at the moment, and if Pansy was pregnant, it would turn pink. If she wasn’t, then it would stay grey.</p><p> </p><p>They both held their breath as they watched the smoke swirl, then it began to change colour.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh for the love of the Founders,” Daphne breathed as she cancelled out the spell, “You two are so damn stupid! We’re in the middle of a war, and you two decide not to use protection and just – ugh – I am surrounded by idiots.”</p><p> </p><p>At this point, Pansy burst into tears, and Daphne immediately felt guilty.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh fuck, I’m sorry Pansy,” Daphne said as she pulled the taller girl in and hugged her tightly, “But the timing is awful.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy cried on her shoulder for a good five minutes. Daphne patted her back helplessly until Pansy eventually drew back and said, “Can you find out how…how uh…”</p><p> </p><p>“Far along you are?” Daphne finished.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“In a word, no,” Daphne answered, “I know the basic charm, but I can’t do anything more complex than that.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy let out another sob.</p><p> </p><p>“Tracey could,” Daphne added, “But it would involve telling her.”</p><p> </p><p>“I trust Tracey,” Pansy said tearfully.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want me to go and get her?”</p><p> </p><p>“Please,” Pansy said.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, I’ll be back in a minute,” Daphne said. She slipped out of the cupboard and shut the door. As she waded through the corridor, she shook her head in disbelief and muttered, “Unbelievable.”</p><p> </p><p>When she reached the bathroom, she called, “Trace, can you give me a hand?”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey’s head popped out of the sleeping area, “Yeah, what’s up?”</p><p> </p><p>“You know those two pepper-like things that you need for your pepper-up potion?” Daphne asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me guess; you can’t tell the difference between them again?” Tracey asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Yep,” Daphne said with a grin.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, I’m coming.”</p><p> </p><p>She slipped on a cardigan and waded out into the corridor with Daphne. The two of them slipped into the broom cupboard, and Daphne shut the door.</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy – what the hell?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne looked at Pansy, “Do you want to tell her or should I?”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy just cried.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed, “Pansy is pregnant.”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey’s eyes widened, “Pregnant?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think you could tell her how far along she is?” Daphne asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh…yeah,” Tracey frowned, “It’s a fairly simple healing spell. Let me just…”</p><p> </p><p>She fiddled with her wand and cast the spell which was in two parts. It was a similar spell to the one that Daphne had done, but it involved a second spell which calculated gestation.</p><p> </p><p>Some numbers appeared in front of Tracey, and she cocked her head to look at them. She did the mental math’s in her head then said, “So you are about six weeks pregnant, which would mean you conceived around the 20<sup>th</sup> of January.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy breathed a sigh of relief, “You’re sure about that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, fairly sure,” Tracey answered, “The spell is accurate, and it reckons you are six weeks and two days along.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded. She hugged her friend, “Thank you, Tracey.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tracey!”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey opened the cupboard door, “Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Can you come and check this potion?” Draco’s voice called, “It’s gone all frothy.”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey snorted and made to leave.</p><p> </p><p>“Tracey,” Pansy said, she gripped her hand, “You can’t tell anyone yet.”</p><p> </p><p>“I won’t,” Tracey promised. Then she slipped out of the cupboard.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne pulled the door shut and narrowed her eyes at Pansy, “Why is the timing so important to you, Pansy?”</p><p> </p><p>Fear flashed in Pansy’s eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Why were you relieved when she gave you a date?” Daphne continued.</p><p> </p><p>“I just..”</p><p> </p><p>“Was it because you were terrified that the date was going to fall over the spell when Draco wasn’t here?” Daphne asked coldly.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy couldn’t stop crying.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shook her head in disbelief, “You slept with Theo? Theo! And now you’re pregnant Pansy, you idiot.”</p><p> </p><p>At that point, the door opened, and Theo stood in the corridor, his eyes wide, “You’re pregnant?”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy swallowed.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shook her head angrily, “You’re his <em>best friend</em>, Theo! And you fucked his girlfriend?”</p><p> </p><p>“We thought he was dead Daphne,” Theo began to say.</p><p> </p><p>“So you thought you’d just jump in?” Daphne fumed, “What if the baby had been his, Pansy? How would you have broken that to Draco, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne, keep your voice down,” Pansy hissed, “It’s not his, its Draco’s, you heard Tracey give me the dates.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne scoffed, “Oh so you just want me to keep my mouth shut and not tell Draco that you fucked his best friend like a little skank while he was being tortured within an inch of his life? Like hell I will!”</p><p> </p><p>“You have to!” Pansy said.</p><p> </p><p>“Why?” Daphne asked angrily, “Because you love him? Enough that the minute he was gone, you jumped onto the next best thing? Cause I hate to tell you Pansy, but that’s not love.”</p><p> </p><p>“I do love him!”</p><p> </p><p>“And I’m not that happy about being called second best,” Theo muttered irritably.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne tried to push past Pansy, but the dark-haired girl didn’t let her. She shoved Daphne against the wall and said, “Imperio!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo watched in disbelief as Pansy looked into Daphne’s eyes and said, “You will be a supportive friend, and you will not tell anyone that I am pregnant.”</p><p> </p><p>She snapped her fingers and Daphne blinked a couple of times, “Sorry Pans, I zoned out for a second there, but I’m here every step of the way.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy smiled at her, “Thanks, Daph.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled, “I better get back.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo stared at Pansy as Daphne waded through the corridor back into the bathroom. When the door shut behind her, he looked to the dark-haired girl and said, “You are so fucking cold. The Gryffindors always viewed you as Draco’s little bitch, and I thought they were wrong, but they weren’t. That’s exactly what you are. You are cold and cruel and fucking conniving.”</p><p> </p><p>“A perfect pureblood bride then,” Pansy remarked calmly.</p><p> </p><p>“If by that you mean manipulative, then sure,” Theo remarked.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m just protecting my relationship with the man that I love.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, don’t remind me.” Theo snorted, “I’m going to help Sadie sort through the weekly papers, and do you know something?”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Pansy asked coolly.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad it’s not mine,” Theo said before going back into the bathroom.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Pansy ignored Theo’s cold look when she stepped back into the bathroom. She was quiet all day, but that night when everyone went to bed, she managed to corner Draco alone in the living area.</p><p> </p><p>He was leaning over the desk, as he often did.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy watched him and felt tears prick at her eyes. She had treated him terribly, and when she looked at him, she felt so much guilt.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked up. He smiled, but that turned into a frown when he saw the fresh tears in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Why have you been crying? What’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s…” Pansy took a shaky breath and swallowed hard, “I found something out today.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco got to his feet and took a step towards her. He grabbed her hands and looked in her eye, “What is it? Did someone die? Is it news from home?”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy shook her head, “No. Nothing like that. It’s just that I…I’m.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco watched her anxiously.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m pregnant, Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco’s eyes widened, “Pregnant?”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded, her eyes searching his for any sign of fear. She was worried that he might turn on his heel and run at the news, “I thought I had a stomach bug, but then the sickness never went away, and I was running late so…” she took a breath, “I had Daphne do a test.”</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne knows?” Draco asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy nodded again, “And Tracey, she told me how far along I was. From the dates, it must have been that night after you got back from the Manor.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco’s eyes darkened, “I…oh no…Pansy, it’s my fault. I was in a state, and I forgot to cast the charm.”</p><p> </p><p>“I forgot too,” Pansy reminded him.</p><p> </p><p>“Sweet Salazar, Theo will get a right laugh out of this one. He sleeps with half of our year group and doesn’t get anyone pregnant then this happens to you and I,” Draco joked.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo knows,” Pansy said weakly, “He overheard our conversation earlier.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded numbly, “Of course he did.”</p><p> </p><p>“How do you feel about the whole thing?” Pansy asked nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“Shocked,” Draco said honestly, “I mean I’m happy about it but…we’re in the middle of a war, and that scares me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, it scares me too,” Pansy admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t leave this bathroom anymore,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco-”</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy, you can’t,” Draco said firmly, “The thought of losing you is bad enough, but the thought of losing this baby right after you’ve told me about it…I just can’t bear it.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy sighed, “So you want me to sit on my laurels and do nothing for the rest of the war?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Draco said bluntly, “Think of what a cruciatus curse could do to an unborn baby. Please, just take a step back, for me.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy watched him for a moment.</p><p> </p><p><em>For me, </em>he had said.</p><p> </p><p>She sighed and nodded, “Okay,” she said reluctantly.</p><p> </p><p>Draco leant down and kissed her lightly, “Get some rest,” he advised.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy kissed him back, “I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you too,” Draco said softly.</p><p> </p><p>She drew back and disappeared into the sleeping area, and Draco let his head fall into his hands. She was pregnant, and they were living like outlaws in the middle of a war. What was he supposed to do with that information? And to make matters worse, it was <em>his </em>fault.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck,” He cursed to himself. He punched himself in the face, “Fuck!”</p><p> </p><p>Then he rested his head in his hands and let a few tears spill as he contemplated how dire their situation was.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>That night, Theo had a whispered conversation with Daphne.</p><p> </p><p>“How stupid do you think I am?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne raised an eyebrow, “Are you sure you want me to answer that?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo snorted, “That imperius curse didn’t work on you.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smirked.</p><p> </p><p>Theo continued, “If it had, the room wouldn’t have let you back in. An alarm would have gone off, like with Blaise.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled, “Excellently worked out. She didn’t cotton on though, did she?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo raised an eyebrow, “Well, you <em>are </em>a good actress.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Daphne smirked.</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you pretending that it did work?” Theo asked curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“Because if she’s stupid enough to throw away our friendship like that then so be it,” Daphne murmured, “But it’s not the time or place to tell Draco. He’s thrown enough by the news. If he found out the whole truth now…”</p><p> </p><p>“It would break him,” Theo finished.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne nodded, “So as much as I disapprove, I won’t tell him when no good can possibly come of him knowing the truth.”</p><p> </p><p>“All the same, thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Trust me, I’m not doing it for you,” Daphne said firmly.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“You okay, man?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked up at his friend, “I’m fine.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo didn’t look convinced, “You’ve been quiet for the last few days. Ever since Pansy told you the news.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco stared at the tiled wall ahead of him.</p><p> </p><p>“And you’ve just been standing under the shower like that for the last ten minutes,” Theo added, “If you’re trying to drown yourself, a bath would be better.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco didn’t even snipe at him. He just rested his head against the cold, tiled wall, “I’m a fucking idiot.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re in a war,” Theo said, “We’re all going to do some stupid things. Some things that we regret.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco shut his eyes as the hot water cascaded over his skin, “She’s pregnant, and we’re hiding out in a fucking bathroom, Theo. How much longer is this war going to last? Because if its too long then she’ll have to give birth in here and sorry, I know Tracey is a good amateur Healer, but she can’t deliver a bloody baby.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t think like that, Draco,” Theo said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>“Like what, Theo?” Draco snapped, “Like a realist? Because I am trying to hold it together for her, I am trying <em>so </em>hard. But when she told me that she was pregnant, all I could think is how am I going to be a father? <em>How </em>can I possibly get that right after the example that <em>mine </em>set.”</p><p> </p><p>“Because you’re not him,” Theo said firmly, “You’re a good person, Draco and you’ll be a great father because of that. People like us are so scared of repeating the sins of our fathers. But that fear is what makes us better than them.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco didn’t say anything.</p><p> </p><p>“You really need to get out the shower now,” Theo added.</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed but turned the water off all the same and accepted the towel that Theo was holding out for him, “Thanks Theo,” he said quietly, and Theo knew he was thanking him for more than just the towel.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>As March wore on, Pansy’s sickness got worse. She was barely able to eat and was getting weaker because of it. Draco started to get worried about the effect it would have on the baby and his already fragile state of mind cracked. The bathroom was no place for a pregnant girl, and it would be no place to give birth, no place for a baby.</p><p> </p><p>It was this fear that brought Draco to a difficult decision. He stayed up for several nights debating it in his head before he wrote the note and slipped out of the bathroom in the middle of the night.</p><p> </p><p>He left it in the middle of the desk where they would all be able to see it the following morning.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Pansy,</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I have left to re-affirm my loyalty to the Dark Lord. Once I have proven that I am sorry for betraying him, I hope he will allow me to return for you. I’m sorry that I failed you, but I will do anything to make this right and to get you to safety.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I love you, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Draco.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>He walked straight into the Carrows usual patrol area, which was the dungeons.</p><p> </p><p>When they saw him, they both drew their wands, but Draco dropped his and knelt to the ground, “I’m sorry for running away from my responsibilities and leaving the Manor, but I want to make this right. I want to re-affirm my loyalty to the Dark Lord.”</p><p> </p><p>Amycus grinned, but Alecto narrowed her eyes, “It’s a trick.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not a trick,” Draco promised.</p><p> </p><p>“Then let me look into your mind,” Alecto challenged him.</p><p> </p><p>Draco bowed his head, “Do it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Legilimens!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco left his mind open enough for her to see what was on the surface. She saw his desire to protect Pansy; she heard her words echoing in his head, <em>I’m pregnant</em>. She saw him kneeling before the Dark Lord swearing himself to him.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto ended the spell and smirked, “A wise choice Malfoy. Even if you are making it for the wrong reasons.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco didn’t say anything.</p><p> </p><p>“Get to your feet,” Alecto commanded, “It’s time to go home.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco got to his feet and followed Alecto out of the castle. She grabbed him, and they apparated away in a puff of black smoke. When they reappeared, they were at the gates of the Manor.</p><p> </p><p>Alecto pressed her hand against the gate and was granted access. They walked up the path together in silence. The Death Eaters on the door looked at Draco in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“He has come back to us,” Alecto said with a smile, “In the morning, he shall be re-confirmed.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco remained silent.</p><p> </p><p>“Go to your room, Malfoy,” Alecto ordered, “You will be locked in until someone comes to get you in the morning.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded and walked up the stairs to his bedroom. When he got there, he shut the door and heard it click shut behind him. He let out a breath that he hadn’t realised he had been holding. He sat down on the edge of his bed and looked around his bedroom. It was devoid of emotion for the most part: just silken green sheets and thick velvet curtains, mahogany furniture and a golden chandelier. But there was sentimentality hidden if you knew where to look for it. He opened the top drawer of his desk with a wave of his hand and summoned a book.</p><p> </p><p>He lay on his stomach in his bed and opened it up. He smiled as he flicked through the pictures. There were some early ones of him and Theo, and then of him and Daphne while they had holidayed in France together as kids. Once he got to Hogwarts age, there were some more, and when he reached the point of fifth year, Daphne began to appear in a lot of them.</p><p> </p><p>He touched one of the photos, an old favourite of his. He and Daphne were in the grounds, Theo had taken the photograph. She was leaning against one of the stones in the stone circle, and as he leant in to kiss her, she smiled broadly. He watched the little scene play out over and over again, and he wondered if she would ever forgive him for what he was about to do.</p><p> </p><p>He knew that Pansy would. She had told him before, she loved him Death Eater or not. But Daphne hadn’t. Daphne had loved Draco Malfoy, the boy who used to chase her around the garden of her French chateau. She loved Draco Malfoy, the boy who had stolen her away for kisses in broom cupboards and who had snuck her out to the forbidden forest after curfew. To Daphne, he had always been sweet, kind and caring, the boy she was going to marry one day.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne was a good person, and far too pure considering how awful things had been for her when she was young. She couldn’t love Draco after he took that mark, after he did the things he did to get that mark. He didn’t blame her, how could he when he hated himself for what he had done? It didn’t matter how bad the Muggle he had killed was, he had still killed, and that left a stain on your soul. There was a reason that certain dark magic spells or rituals involved killing someone.</p><p> </p><p>To Daphne, it wouldn’t matter that he had done it for love but to Pansy, it would. He tried to justify it to himself in his head. He was doing it for love, and it was a terrible thing. He was going to have to do terrible things, but he would do them for a good reason; to protect the girl he loved and the baby he was terrified of losing.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *<br/></strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Cold Hearted Boy I Used to Be</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>When Pansy woke up the morning after Draco’s departure, everyone was hovering around the living area, and they all looked incredibly solemn.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong?” She asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco is gone,” Theo answered.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy’s eyes widened, “What? Did he sneak out? Is he in the tower or-”</p><p> </p><p>“No, Pansy, he’s not in the tower,” Daphne interrupted her darkly, “He left us.”</p><p> </p><p>She thrust the note into Pansy’s hand. The dark-haired girl read it then sighed, “He’s just doing what he feels he needs to do.”</p><p> </p><p>“Which is turning himself back into the Dark Lord,” Tracey said in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“To protect you,” Theo said, he stared coldly at Pansy, “You and your baby. If you ever doubted the lengths that Draco would go to protect you, then I think you know now.”</p><p> </p><p>“And it means you need to leave,” Daphne said with a note of finality.</p><p> </p><p>“Leave?” Pansy asked, “But-”</p><p> </p><p>“But, nothing,” Tracey said sternly, “When he gets back, he’s with the Dark Lord, and he’s going to come for you. We can’t risk anyone finding out where you are. If you leave and go to the common room, you’ll be safe.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t know that!” Pansy exclaimed.</p><p> </p><p>“We can, Pansy,” Theo said quietly, “Because the Carrows will already know why he’s turned himself over.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded her agreement, “They wouldn’t just blindly trust him when he said that he wanted to go back to the Dark Lord. They would need proof and to get that; they would use legilimency.”</p><p> </p><p>“Go back to the common room,” Daphne said simply.</p><p> </p><p>“And enjoy the baby,” Tracey said, “I hope it’s worth it.”</p><p> </p><p>It hurt to be faced with this level of coldness from her friends. They were blaming her for Draco’s decision even though she had nothing to do with it.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy’s expression darkened.</p><p> </p><p>“You always said you loved him, Death Eater or not,” Daphne said darkly.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s time to prove that statement,” Theo said, his eyes boring into hers, “Because when he gets back, he’s not going to be a scared little kid anymore. He’s going to be a fully-fledged Death Eater.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care,” Pansy said honestly, “I do love him regardless of the choices that he makes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Congratulations Narcissa Malfoy 2.0,” Tracey said sarcastically, “Get out before you put any of us at risk.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy swallowed and disappeared into the sleeping area. She emerged a few minutes later with a bag then she left without another word.</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie, strengthen the enchantments,” Daphne commanded, “Theo, can you come up with a way to lock Draco and Pansy out of the wards?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded. He sighed heavily, “Yeah, I can.”</p><p> </p><p>“So it’s just the four of us now,” Sadie said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Sadie,” Daphne said, glaring at the door that Pansy had left through, “It’s just the four of us.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ MALFOY MANOR ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>March 1998</em>
</p><p> </p><p>When the door to Draco’s bedroom opened, he was initially pleased to see his mother until he saw the look in her eyes. A blank, unseeing look would have been better than the fury burning behind her pale blue eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“What could possibly have possessed you to come back here?” Narcissa hissed, “After everything I did to get you out?”</p><p> </p><p>“I need to re-affirm my loyalty,” Draco said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Why?” Narcissa asked in a calm but furious voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Because it’s the only way to protect Pansy and…” Draco took a shaky breath and met his mother’s eye, “She is pregnant, Mother.”</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa’s eyes widened, “Draco, you idiot! We are in the midst of a war, and <em>you </em>are in more danger than most because of your position in it. You know how the protective charm works for goodness sake!”</p><p> </p><p>“I slipped up,” Draco said, he looked down at his feet, “One night of letting it slip my mind and…that was all it took.”</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa swallowed hard, “I am here to deliver you to the Dark Lord. Your father still believes I am under the influence of his imperius curse, so do not give me away. I have gotten rather adept at pretending and now, so must you.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded. He knew what she meant. He was going to have to get better at pretending he was a Death Eater. </p><p> </p><p>“Come, Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>He got to his feet and followed her through the house silently. The portraits on the walls seemed to judge him when they saw him walk along the corridors of the home he had grown up in.</p><p> </p><p>When he reached the drawing-room, he was forced onto his knees in front of Voldemort, and he was sure that his parents and his aunt could hear his heart pounding in his chest as they watched from the sidelines.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” Voldemort said smoothly. His red eyes focused on Draco’s, “I hear that you have seen the error of your ways.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Draco said, being very careful to keep his voice steady, “I was a coward, and I ran away from my duties.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, you did,” Voldemort agreed, “So why should I allow you to come back to us? Tell me why I should not kill you this instant.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed, “Because I can be of use to you in Hogwarts, my lord. I am sorry that it took me so long to see the error of my ways, but I see now that we are going to win. The battle within the school is a lost one. The light has no resources, only the hope that one day Harry Potter will show up and save them all with some miracle.”</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort smirked at this.</p><p> </p><p>“I have been foolish my lord, but I cannot be on the losing side,” Draco continued, “I have too much to lose now.”</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort leant back in his chair, “What do you have to lose?”</p><p> </p><p>“My girlfriend is pregnant, my lord,” Draco returned.</p><p> </p><p>At this, Lucius hissed in disbelief. Bellatrix laughed scornfully, “So you want to rejoin our ranks for protection? My lord, is that a reason to take the boy back?”</p><p> </p><p>“Quiet, Bellatrix,” Voldemort said. He raised his hand and looked back to Draco, “You are desperate to protect her, are you not?”</p><p> </p><p>“I am, my lord.”</p><p> </p><p>“Very well,” Voldemort said, “I would like you to prove it. Pettigrew, bring the girl up here.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed hard. He had a feeling that the girl was Luna, and he knew what Voldemort was going to ask him to do to her.</p><p> </p><p>Pettigrew stumbled out of the room, and Lucius looked at Draco coldly, “You foolish boy.”</p><p> </p><p>“At least she is a pureblood, Lucius,” Narcissa interjected.</p><p> </p><p>“They must be married before the child appears,” Lucius said sternly, “The scandal…”</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa bowed her head.</p><p> </p><p>“She cannot finish her schooling, Draco,” Lucius said distastefully, “Once it becomes apparent that she is pregnant, you must be married.”</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort smiled wickedly, “They shall be married here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Here, my lord?” Lucius asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Indeed,” Voldemort replied, “Morale is getting rather low in the ranks. Perhaps a wedding will do my followers some good.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed the lump that rose in his throat at those words.</p><p> </p><p>At that point, Pettigrew returned with Luna. He threw her onto her knees in front of Draco.</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort leant back in his seat once more, “Do you know this girl, Draco?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Draco replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Her father has been publishing things in his newspaper, things that paint us in a rather unsavoury light,” Voldemort said coolly, “Do you think she ought to be punished for his misgivings?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, my lord.”</p><p> </p><p>“I believe so too,” Voldemort said with a twisted smile, “So punish her.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco had expected something like this, but it would have been easier if the victim wasn’t someone that he knew. Someone that he knew was a good person.</p><p> </p><p>He raised his wand and pointed it at Luna. He took a breath and focused on his hatred of Voldemort and his father. Then he said, “Crucio!”</p><p> </p><p>Hearing his voice say those words made him feel sick. Seeing the red light hit Luna made his stomach turn. She fell to the ground, writhing and whimpering in pain and in that moment, he knew that he had become the monster he had tried so hard to avoid.</p><p> </p><p>“Boring!” Bellatrix barked from behind him. She walked right up to him and stood with her chin on his shoulder, “You don’t mean it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I do,” Draco lied.</p><p> </p><p>“No, you don’t,” Bellatrix said in a sing-song voice, “If you meant it, she would be screaming.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco knew what he had to do. He had seen it done so many times before; he had seen it done <em>to </em>him. He flicked his wand to the right, and she screamed. Then he flicked it to the left, and she screamed louder. The sound echoed in his head, and he was sure that he would have nightmares about it for as long as he lived.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, he flicked his wand upwards, and she was lifted off the floor. She landed again with a soft thump.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked at that heap of a human, and that was when he began to hate himself. Any sense of self-worth he had been clinging onto, was gone.</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort smiled crudely, “Excellent work, Draco. You must stay for a day or so. We have a meeting tomorrow, and then you may return to school.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, my lord.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The next day the meeting took place. Voldemort welcomed Draco back into the fold with a round of applause then used legilimency on him to find out where Theo, the ‘other rogue Death Eater’ was hiding. Draco focused on the memory that Neville had obliviated; the grey smoke and the emptiness and by some miracle, it worked. Voldemort assumed that his knowledge of the location had been obliviated so he withdrew from his mind.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the meeting, Draco kept his head down and stayed quiet. Then it ended, and Voldemort told the Malfoys that he had to attend to urgent business. He left the Manor and Draco braced himself for it.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” Lucius said coolly, “My office, now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Father.”</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa bowed her head as Draco followed his father into the office. Lucius shut the door and locked it. Then he drew his long hair into a ponytail and put up a silencing charm. He roared at Draco for his stupidity, for getting “that stupid Parkinson girl knocked up” and he gave Draco the worst beating of his life. It was almost worse than it would have been if he had just used the cruciatus curse.</p><p> </p><p>Draco thought he might die on the floor of his father’s office when a commotion outside distracted him.</p><p> </p><p>Lucius thrust a generic healing charm at Draco and opened the door of the office, “Come.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco followed his father into the drawing-room. Lucius pushed him into a chair and watched the main door with interest as they heard the sound of footsteps outside.</p><p> </p><p>“What is this?”</p><p> </p><p>“They say they’ve got Potter,” Narcissa answered. She met her son's eye, “Draco, come here.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco got up and walked towards the group of prisoners that had been brought in. He knew that one of them was Hermione Granger, he knew that face anywhere, and that made it highly likely that they had indeed managed to catch Harry.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, boy?” Greyback asked Draco.</p><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed, he was still terrified of Greyback after his last encounter with the werewolf.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, Draco?” Lucius asked, “Is it? Is it Harry Potter?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco was trying very hard not to look Harry in the eye, “I can’t be sure,” he said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“But look at him carefully, look! Come closer!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco made eye contact with Harry and instantly regretted it; it was him alright.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, if we are the ones to hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be for-” Lucius began to say, but before he could finish Greyback interrupted.</p><p> </p><p>Draco broke eye contact with Harry while Lucius argued with Greyback and asked what was wrong with Harry’s face. His father asked him again if he thought it was Harry and Draco shook his head, “I don’t know,” he said. Then he walked over to his mother by the fireplace.</p><p> </p><p>She shot him a sideways look and called to Lucius, “We had better be certain, Lucius.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco stared into the flames as she cautioned her Husband against calling the Dark Lord after what had happened to Rowle and Dolohov. Draco shivered, he remembered what had happened to Rowle, what Greyback had done to him. He had been in so many pieces when it was over.</p><p> </p><p>“What about the Mudblood, then?” Greyback asked.</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa turned to look at Hermione and frowned, “Wait. Yes, she was in Madam Malkin’s with Potter. I saw her picture in the Prophet.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco felt sick because he knew what was coming. His mother gripped his shoulder, “Look, Draco, isn’t it the Granger girl?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked at Hermione. She looked terrified, as terrified as he felt. He could have said yes, he could have handed her over in exchange for his safety and Pansy’s. If he said “yes, that’s Granger” then his girlfriend and his unborn baby would be safe. But how could he do that? He knew exactly what they would do to Hermione. She was a Mudblood, but a pretty one and the fate she would suffer made him sick.</p><p> </p><p>“I…maybe…yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“But then, that’s the Weasley boy!” Lucius shouted.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked back into the fire.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, look at him. Isn’t it Arthur Weasley’s son, what’s his name?”</p><p> </p><p>At that point, Bellatrix strode into the drawing-room. That was when things kicked off. His father and his aunt argued about who would call Voldemort and Draco wondered if there was any way he could escape back to Hogwarts before he had to witness the things that the Dark Lord would do to the boy-who-lived and his friends. When Bellatrix saw the sword, which Draco recognised as the sword of Gryffindor, she told Lucius not to call Voldemort.</p><p> </p><p>Draco tried his best to ignore it all until he was addressed again, “Draco, move this scum outside,” Bellatrix said. She pointed to the snatchers that she had stunned to obtain the sword.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you dare speak to Draco like-” Narcissa began furiously.</p><p> </p><p>“Be quiet!” Bellatrix shrieked. They argued, and Bellatrix said that Harry Potter must not be harmed because Voldemort wanted to dispose of him personally. She ordered that the prisoners be placed in the cellar and for a moment, Draco wondered if he might be able to get them out.</p><p> </p><p>Then his aunt added, “All except…except for the Mudblood.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco steeled himself as Ron shouted and screamed that they could have him. Bellatrix informed him that he would be next, should Hermione die under questioning. She ordered Greyback to take the prisoners downstairs and dragged Hermione into the middle of the room by her hair. <br/><br/></p><p>Draco couldn’t watch as his aunt used the cruciatus curse on Hermione while she questioned her about the sword of Gryffindor. Her screams echoed around the walls of the drawing-room and went straight through him, making him physically shiver.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco!”</p><p> </p><p>He jumped when his father addressed him, “Bring the goblin from the cellar!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco did so. His hands shook as he grabbed the goblin from the cellar. His voice shook when he warned him not to try anything. They were going to kill her tonight, he knew it, and he was terrified that they would make him deal the final blow. His aunt tortured the goblin, then turned her attention back to Hermione.</p><p> </p><p>Draco forced himself to look at her. She lay on her back, shaking with fear, her limbs convulsing outwith her control.</p><p> </p><p>“So what should we do with the filthy Mudblood?” Bellatrix asked scathingly.</p><p> </p><p>“She has outlived her usefulness,” Lucius answered.</p><p> </p><p>Bellatrix cocked her head at Greyback, “Are you hungry?”</p><p> </p><p>Greyback grinned.</p><p> </p><p>“Greyback is rather fond of those with dirty blood,” Lucius said distastefully, “I wouldn’t touch her with a barge pole. Would you, Draco?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed and caught Hermione’s eye. She was barely conscious and silently pleading for help.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco?” His father prodded.</p><p> </p><p>“No, Father,” Draco returned.</p><p> </p><p>“Go ahead Bellatrix,” Lucius said.</p><p> </p><p>Bellatrix’s eyes flashed wickedly, “Perhaps Greyback can help loosen your tongue, amongst other things.”</p><p> </p><p>Greyback licked his lips and stepped forward. Draco couldn’t take it anymore; he couldn’t let Greyback do that to Hermione, not when his mother had been the only thing that had saved him from the same fate.</p><p> </p><p>“No!” He shouted as he ran forward, “She’s a Mudblood, but she doesn’t deserve that!”</p><p> </p><p>“Enough, Draco!” Lucius snapped. With a click of his fingers, Draco’s feet were stuck to the floor, “Hold your tongue, you foolish boy!” he hissed, and with another click of his fingers, Draco was silenced.</p><p> </p><p>“The boy has a point, Lucius,” Rodolphus said calmly, “Perhaps we should try other methods to extract information before we resort to that option.”</p><p> </p><p>Bellatrix rolled her eyes, “Boring!”</p><p> </p><p>Rodolphus shrugged her comment off, “Make her a work of art, my darling, and make it hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>Bellatrix grinned wickedly and began to carve the word, “Mudblood” into Hermione’s arm. Hermione screamed in pain as she used dark magic to cut the word, inflicting the most pain possible.</p><p> </p><p>She finished and drew back, and there was nothing Draco could do as Greyback advanced on Hermione eagerly. Then a sound from above distracted them, and they all looked up, just in time to see a large chandelier hurtling to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>The fight that followed was messy. Before Draco knew it, everyone was duelling, and there was no mistaking that it was Harry Potter when the bastard stole his wand. Bellatrix lost it and threw a knife at the group as Dobby apparated them away with his house-elf magic.</p><p> </p><p>Bellatrix screamed at the top of her lungs and took her frustration out on Greyback, “CRUCIO!”</p><p> </p><p>Lucius sank to his knees in despair.</p><p> </p><p>“Finite incantatem,” Narcissa whispered to lift the silencing and sticking charms that had been placed on Draco. Then she pressed something into his hand. He looked down and realised that it was a wand, “Go, now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mother.”</p><p> </p><p>“Now, Draco!” She hissed.</p><p> </p><p>Draco did not need to be told twice. He left the manor and apparated into the grounds of Hogwarts. Now that he didn’t need to worry about the Dark Lord tracking him, he was able to do that without having to hitch-hike up the country on trains.</p><p> </p><p>When he walked into the castle, he was met by Amycus.</p><p> </p><p>“The re-initiation went well, I hear,” He said smoothly.</p><p> </p><p>“It did,” Draco said calmly, “However, the battle that just happened in my family home is not going to please our lord.”</p><p> </p><p>“Battle?” Amycus asked in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Indeed,” Draco said. He had felt the presence of someone close by so he chanced a glance into the secret passage that he knew Neville and his crew frequented to gather food. When he saw Neville peering out from behind the tapestry, he raised his voice a little.</p><p> </p><p>“Greyback and some snatchers brought some valuable prisoners to the house, but the Dark Lord is attending business,” Draco explained, “Unfortunately, due to my father and my aunt's incompetence Potter and his accomplices were rescued, by a house-elf.”</p><p> </p><p>“Potter?” Amycus hissed, “Your father let Potter get away?”</p><p> </p><p>“He stole my wand,” Draco said, looking down at the one in his hand, “This one belongs to my mother. She gave it to me and told me to return to school, so I would not have to face the Dark Lords wrath.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sensible of her,” Amycus said, “They’ll be lucky to survive his wrath if they let Potter slip through their grasp. Who else was with him?”</p><p> </p><p>“He escaped with the Mudblood and the Weasley who travel with him.” Draco said, “Along with the Lovegood girl and another Mudblood by the name of Thomas.”</p><p> </p><p>Amycus scoffed.</p><p> </p><p>“I have it on good authority that Pansy is safe?” Draco asked calmly.</p><p> </p><p>“Indeed,” Amycus returned, “She has a private dormitory within the Slytherin common room and full access to the hospital wing should she need it. You will be sharing a dormitory with Crabbe and Goyle. In exchange for your girlfriend’s safety, you will join us in our fight against the rebels, and you will lead Crabbe and Goyle.”</p><p> </p><p>“I understand the conditions, Amycus,” Draco said coolly, “But if you are quite finished interrogating me, I should like to retire.”</p><p> </p><p>Amycus indicated in the direction of the Slytherin common room, “Be my guest.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Neville was still out on a food raid when Potterwatch aired that evening. Ginny and Lilly tuned into the radio, and they all fell silent to listen to the latest update.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Potterwatch!”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Thank you Rodent!”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ginny smiled weakly, and Lilly grabbed her hand. She shot the redhead a sympathetic smile. Every time she heard their voices, she breathed a little easier.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I told you it’s Rapier! I’d thought you’ve got the point by now. Point. Rapier. Sword…Geddit?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ginny chuckled as they moved on with the broadcast.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“You said the “I” was sharp on Rapier! And we’d like our listeners to keep a sharp lookout for anyone behaving strangely or people covering your area that you don’t recognise. Many regular Potterwatch listeners will know that there has been a mass break-out from Azkaban. Escapees include the infamous Death Eater Travers and Stan Shunpike, that you may have met on the Knight Bus.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“He must be under imperius,” Susan murmured.</p><p> </p><p>Seconds later the radio broadcast announced,</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Please be careful with Stan. We’re sure he’s under the influence of the Imperius Curse. He is helping the Death Eaters, but we believe this is against his will. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Even so, add him to your list of known Death Eaters and Death Eater-sympathisers:</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>The Malfoys</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bellatrix Lestrange</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The werewolf Fenrir Greyback</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Rowle and Dolohov</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Carrows</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Severus Snape</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And all the others.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Know your friends, but be on the lookout for any signs of the Imperius Curse or Polyjuice Potion. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Sadly, we end this broadcast with another announcement of deaths that have gone unreported by the News Network. Tonight we regret to inform our listeners of the murder of Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell. A goblin by the name of Gornuk was also killed. It is believed that Muggle-born Dean Thomas and a second goblin, both believed to be travelling with Tonks, Cresswell and Gornuk may have escaped.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ginny tightened her grip on Lilly’s hand and let out a relieved sigh.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“If Dean is listening, your parents and sisters are pretty desperate for news. We have to go off air now, but as we do, we ask you to take a moment’s silence, in memory of those who have fallen.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The Room of Requirement fell eerily quiet. Ginny felt sorry for Tonks; she knew that Ted was her father. She couldn’t imagine how she would feel if that had been <em>her </em>father.</p><p> </p><p>The moment was interrupted by Neville barging into the Room of Requirement and making a beeline for the briefing area, “Malfoy has joined them, properly joined them this time.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Ginny asked sharply.</p><p> </p><p>“I just saw him in the entrance hall with Amycus Carrow,” Neville said breathily, “He was wearing Death Eater robes and talking about how he had done it for Pansy’s protection. I think she’s ill; they said something about the hospital wing.”</p><p> </p><p>He took a breath, “But that’s not the important thing. He mentioned Harry.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked up, “Is he okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Harry, Hermione and Ron were caught and taken to Malfoy Manor, but they escaped with the help of a house-elf, and they took Luna and Dean with them.”</p><p> </p><p>“Dean’s with them?” Ginny asked.</p><p> </p><p>“They must have bumped into each other on the run,” Neville said offhandedly, “But this is the first bit of good news we’ve had in ages. If Luna is with Harry, she’s safe.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny wasn’t so sure of that, but she knew that Luna was better off with Harry than in Malfoy Manor. Neville was right, that was the first bit of good news they had had in ages.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When Draco walked into the Slytherin common room, Pansy took his hand and led him up to her private dormitory. She shut the door, and he hugged her tightly.</p><p> </p><p>“What did you do to ensure my safety?” Pansy asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“I had to swear myself to him,” Draco choked, “And I had to torture Lovegood.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy sighed, “Did he make you kill anyone?”</p><p>                             </p><p>Draco shook his head and allowed her to push him onto the bed, “No.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re shaking,” Pansy said.</p><p> </p><p>“Potter was captured,” Draco said, “He managed to escape, with my wand. This one is my mothers. I left before the Dark Lord could return, but he may kill my parents out of spite.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Pansy murmured, “But your mother…”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Draco said, he let his head fall into his hands, “I hate myself for the things I did.”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, you only did what you had to do-”</p><p> </p><p>“What I had to do was torture an innocent girl!” Draco hissed, “And I hate myself for it, I <em>hate </em>myself! I hate myself for what I let them do to Granger.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy scoffed, “Granger is a Mudblood and a-”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Draco said sternly, “I know you hate her, I’ve never really understood why but I know your feelings on the matter. However, I do not think <em>anyone </em>deserves to have Greyback set upon them.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy’s eyes widened.</p><p> </p><p>“If Potter hadn’t gotten them out of there…if he had been minutes later Greyback would have…” Draco couldn’t bear to say it, “And I would have had to watch that.”</p><p> </p><p>Tears pricked at his eyes, but he swiped them away angrily.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, you’re exhausted,” Pansy said softly, “You need to rest.”</p><p> </p><p>He lay down on the bed and stared up at the top of the four-poster.</p><p> </p><p>“How can I sleep when all I see when I close my eyes are the horrors that I committed?” Draco whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“You have to console yourself with the fact you did it for love.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco tried, he tried for a very long time, but he could never justify what he had done that night. When Pansy fell asleep, he went into the bathroom and tried everything he could to rid himself of the mark so that every time he looked down; he wasn’t reminded of Luna’s limp body or Hermione’s ear-splitting screams. Nothing worked. He burned the flesh, but when it healed, the mark was still there. He tried to cut it off, but it just kept coming back.</p><p> </p><p>When the blood-red sun began to rise outside the bathroom, Draco gave up. He threw his head back against the tiled wall and let his arm drop to his side, marked with scars from his terrible attempts at healing his self-inflicted wounds.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ SHELL COTTAGE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>March 1998</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Hermione, are you okay?” Harry asked as he leant against a pastel blue wooden door in Shell Cottage.</p><p> </p><p>“She hasn’t moved in 2 days,” Ron whispered anxiously.</p><p> </p><p>“She was tortured, you idiot. Do you really think she’s going to be fine after that?” Harry asked Ron irritably. His patience was wearing thin after their ordeal in Malfoy Manor. He had barely slept since burying Dobby…</p><p> </p><p>Inside the room, Hermione screwed her eyes shut tightly, “Just leave me alone!”</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t leave you alone, we’re worried about you,” Harry said softly.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine,” Hermione lied as tears streamed down her cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione, you need to tell us what happened when you were alone up there.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I don’t,” Hermione said firmly, “I’m fine. Just leave me alone.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry and Ron shared a reluctant look.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know what more we can say to her,” Ron whispered, “Maybe you should go in.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry sighed, “I doubt she’ll tell me anything.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron shrugged, he clearly had no other bright ideas.</p><p> </p><p>Harry gave him a small nod and slipped into the room. His heart broke when he saw Hermione lying fully clothed in bed, her knees curled up tightly.</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione, please,” Harry said, kneeling by her bed, “Please tell me what happened to you back there because I’m terrified. The more you don’t talk to us, the more scared I am of what they did to you.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione swallowed and sat up in bed. Silently, she lifted her sleeve and showed him the cut on her arm. It was clean, despite her self-isolation, she had obviously been cleaning it with dittany, but it would scar.</p><p> </p><p>Harry felt sick.</p><p> </p><p>“It was a cursed blade,” Hermione said, her voice lower than a whisper, “It will scar.”</p><p> </p><p>The word, ‘Mudblood’ was still so red, so angry. It filled Harry with rage and disgust.</p><p> </p><p>“She tortured me,” Hermione whispered, “Bellatrix. She used the cruciatus curse on me.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked up into her eyes. They weren’t filled with warmth as they often were when Ron was joking around to keep her spirits up. They weren’t filled with sadness as they had been in Ron’s absence. They were darker than he had ever seen them, not quite empty but scarily close.</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione,” Harry said, his voice choked in his throat, “It’s going to be okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Hermione said. Her voice was a little louder, but it still sounded broken, “It’s not.”</p><p> </p><p>He sat down on the edge of her bed and looked at her. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she didn’t move to wipe them away, “I can feel myself changing Harry,” she said quietly, “Every choice I have to make, every bad choice, every mistake… it changes me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Harry said, averting his gaze, “For being one of those bad choices.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione swallowed and looked at the window. The rain was currently lashing against it even though the sun shone brightly.</p><p> </p><p>“I feel like I’m killing part of myself,” Hermione said. She sat with her back against the headboard, her knees drawn tightly underneath her, “Like I’m ignoring my heart until it becomes blind and deaf. I can feel myself growing harder every day.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then don’t,” Harry said, more firmly than he had intended, “Don’t.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione caught his eye.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t grow harder,” Harry said, “You’ve never been alone, and you never will be. Ron and I will always be here so talk to us, lean on us. Let us help you. Don’t lock yourself away and grow harder, please.”</p><p> </p><p>The ‘please’ seemed to break through to her. She nodded as fresh tears rolled down her face, then she told Harry that she was tired. He recognised the dismissal and left her room, but he had obviously gotten through to her because the next morning, she came downstairs for some breakfast and gave Harry a small, half-hearted smile in thanks.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong> * ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>April 1998</em>
</p><p> </p><p>As March trickled into April, the leaves began to change, and flowers bloomed in the grounds. The days grew warmer, but Draco’s heart grew colder. He was forced to inflict pain almost every day, sometimes on kids as young as twelve and it wore him down. It ate away at his soul. He was convinced that there was no turning back now, that this was who he was.</p><p> </p><p>Then he came across Seamus Finnigan. He wanted to let him go, but Alecto Carrow was with him, so there was no choice. He had to stop him.</p><p> </p><p>“Stupefy!”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto smirked, “You are getting rather good at this. Let’s take him to the tower.”</p><p> </p><p>“Incarcerous! Wingardium Leviosa.”</p><p> </p><p>“How is our darling Pansy feeling?” Alecto asked conversationally as they walked to the tower with Seamus’s body levitating behind them.</p><p> </p><p>“She is still very sick,” Draco said. He had forced Pansy to remain in bed and pretend that she was sicker than she was so that he could delay the inevitable Death Eater wedding. He didn’t put it past the Dark Lord to try and give her the mark, pregnant or not.</p><p> </p><p>“The poor girl,” Alecto said with a sigh, “I do hope it gets better. Sickness like this can last for the whole pregnancy.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hope not,” Draco echoed.</p><p> </p><p>They deposited Seamus in a cell, and Draco hoped that that would be the end of it.</p><p> </p><p>“Go on then, Draco,” Alecto said casually, “You can do the honours while I question him.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed and steeled himself.</p><p> </p><p>“Enervate,” Alecto said calmly.</p><p> </p><p>“Crucio!”</p><p> </p><p>It took everything in Draco’s power not to wince as he watched the Irish boy suffer at his hand. But despite ten minutes of torture, he did not give a single piece of information about his friends away.</p><p> </p><p>When Draco walked away from the tower that day, he lost all hope that he could find redemption once this was all over. If they lost, he would go to Azkaban, and Pansy would raise their baby alone. If they won, he had no idea what kind of world he would be bringing up his child in. Either way, he couldn’t win.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ SHELL COTTAGE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>April 1998</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Hermione was sitting on the decking outside Shell Cottage. She had a blanket draped loosely over herself and one of Harry’s shirts over her shoulders as she looked out at the sea, watching the waves lapping against the coast.</p><p> </p><p>She heard footsteps behind her and assumed that they belonged to Ron or Harry. She was surprised when she saw Bill, smiling sympathetically at her and holding a cup of tea.</p><p> </p><p>“I thought you might be cold,” He said.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Bill,” Hermione said, managing a half-smile.</p><p> </p><p>Bill sat down next to her and looked out, “It’s relaxing, isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione simply nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“How are you doing?” Bill asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine,” Hermione lied.</p><p> </p><p>“I told everyone I was fine after Greyback attacked me,” Bill said, and he didn’t miss the fact that Hermione flinched upon the mention of Greyback’s name, “But I wasn’t, and do you know who could tell?”</p><p> </p><p>“Fleur?”</p><p> </p><p>Bill shook his head, “Charlie. He took me into the middle of nowhere and punched me to get me to lose my temper then he told me to shout and scream about how not fine I was if I ever wanted to really be okay again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I don’t have a Charlie,” Hermione said, her eyes on the horizon.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you do,” Bill said, “Harry is your Charlie. He’s the one who got you to come out of that room after two days. When everyone else who had tried had failed.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione frowned but said nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“And it’s Harry’s shirt you’re wearing right now,” Bill added, “It’s Harry you glance at when you have a thought, whether you realise it or not. I’m not blind, Hermione. I can tell something happened between you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, well,” Hermione frowned, “Whatever it was, it’s in the past. Along with the person I used to be…”</p><p> </p><p>Bill leant back in his chair, “That happens when you go through a big change. <em>You </em>change, you change so much you lose sight of yourself for a while.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione’s frown deepened, “I don’t know who I am anymore, Bill. I feel…broken…”</p><p> </p><p>Bill said nothing as tears shone in Hermione’s eyes, “I’m lonely, even when I’m surrounded by people. Nobody can make that go away, not Harry or Ron.”</p><p> </p><p>He felt sorry for her, she was so young, but she had endured more than most adults would ever have to.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve just…I’ve lost myself,” Hermione said, her voice breaking, “The girl I used to be…she’s gone and I’m scared that I’ll never get her back.”</p><p> </p><p>“You won’t,” Bill said, tentatively placing a hand on top of hers. When she didn’t flinch or pull it away, Bill looked Hermione in the eye, “What happened to you back there, it fractured you into different pieces. There’s clever Hermione, there’s brave Hermione, and now there’s broken Hermione. You can’t just glue the pieces back together and expect things to go back to normal. You need to find a way to be every part of yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Bill,” Hermione said, a little tearfully, “Thank you for not telling me that everything is going to be okay like everyone else is doing because it’s really starting to piss me off.”</p><p> </p><p>Bill laughed, “New Hermione swears then?”</p><p> </p><p>“It looks like it,” Hermione said dryly. She managed a small, sarcastic smile, “I learn something new about myself every day.”</p><p> </p><p>Bill got to his feet and shot her a genuine smile, “We all do, Hermione. We all change, every day, throughout our entire life. The important thing is not to forget all the people that you used to be.”</p><p> </p><p>Without another word, he left her alone on the decking. Hermione sighed and sipped her tea thoughtfully, feeling a little lighter for her talk with Bill.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>April 1998</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>April turned out to be a terrible month for the Room of Requirement gang too. Ginny was caught and beaten by the Carrows, but this time the stakes were higher. They didn’t want to kill her because they were under direct orders to protect those that Harry Potter loved, no doubt so that they could be used against him at a later date.</p><p> </p><p>Somehow her parents had found out, and Bill and Charlie had been sent to take her home. She had left without saying goodbye, and it had left Neville as the only original leader.</p><p> </p><p>“Just me now, Lil.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly wrapped her arms around him, “I feel pretty safe with ‘just you’ in charge.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville sighed and rested his chin on the top of her head.</p><p> </p><p>“You know I hate when you do that,” Lilly muttered, “You make me feel like a midget.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled and breathed in deeply. He let go of her and glanced at the calendar on the wall, “I don’t know how much longer we can take. Our resources are running lower than our morale.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you still believe that Harry will come?” Lilly asked him.</p><p> </p><p>“I have to,” Neville said honestly, “Because hope is all I have left so if I lose that…”</p><p> </p><p>“You have nothing,” Lilly finished.</p><p> </p><p>Neville could only nod.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Sadie asked Theo late one night in April.</p><p> </p><p>Theo was having a late-night shower, and Sadie was standing outside the cubicle door. He sighed and leant against the cold wall, “No.”</p><p> </p><p>“You miss him,” Sadie said.</p><p> </p><p>“Every day,” Theo admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“But he turned his back on you,” Sadie said.</p><p> </p><p>“I know he did,” Theo said, his eyes focused on the door, “He chose Pansy over me, over <em>us</em> and that’s a hard pill to swallow, but I still miss him.”</p><p> </p><p>“He was your best friend, Theo,” Sadie said through the door, “It’s only natural.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo turned the water off, and Sadie handed him a towel over the door. He wrapped it around himself and stepped out, surprised to see her in a nightdress rather than her usual comfortable clothing. The sight of Sadie in something skimpy startled him.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Sadie asked. She raised an eyebrow at him, “You do know that I’m a girl, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo laughed, “I forget sometimes. We’re such good mates, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie shook her head in amusement, “Good mates?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I sometimes think you’re one of the guys,” Theo chuckled, “Always wondered if we shared the same sexual preference actually.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie laughed out loud, “You think I’m a lesbian?”</p><p> </p><p>“Aren’t you?” Theo quipped.</p><p> </p><p>“No, Theo,” Sadie said with an amused look, “I like guys.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve just never really dated one,” Theo continued as he tried to dig his way out of the hole, “And I know you snogged Longbottom, but I thought that was just a sympathy thing cause he’s Longbottom.”</p><p> </p><p>“Keep digging, you might find gold,” Sadie said, crossing her arms over her chest, an amused smile playing on her lips.</p><p> </p><p>Theo smiled sheepishly, “Sorry. I was just trying to say that I didn’t think you were that experienced-”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie didn’t lose her temper, but she did run out of patience. At that point, she cut him off by taking a step towards him and tilting her head up to capture his lips. He was surprised, but he kissed her back. He initially lost his hands in her hair and deepened the kiss when she opened her mouth to allow him access. Then his hands dropped to her back, the silken nightdress she wore was short and open-backed. He ran his hands down her skin, only stopping to rest his hands on the smooth fabric over her bum.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie would let it go so far, but she wasn’t going to become another one of his conquests. She had far more self-respect than that, but she kissed him with everything she had, and she could tell by the gasp of surprise against her lips that he hadn’t expected her to be such a good kisser.</p><p> </p><p>When he squeezed her bum, she drew back and smirked at him, “Not that experienced, huh?” she quipped, her eyes darting playfully down his body to the tent in his towel.</p><p> </p><p>Theo cleared his throat and looked at her in a whole different light.</p><p> </p><p>“Speechless?” Sadie smirked, “Well, miracles do happen. See you in the morning, Theo.”</p><p> </p><p>She left him like that, and she felt so satisfied with it too. When she walked into the girls sleeping area, she grinned and climbed into bed next to Daphne, “I just left Theo speechless.”</p><p> </p><p>“What did you do?” Daphne asked sleepily.</p><p> </p><p>“I kissed him.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne’s eyes popped open, “You what?”</p><p> </p><p>“I kissed him,” Sadie whispered, “And he just stood there looking like an idiot.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good for you!” Daphne grinned.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smirked, “And now I’m going to carry on like normal. He’ll either work it out or he won’t,” she shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie Cauldwell, my little Slytherin minx,” Daphne grinned, she pulled her in for a cuddle, “I taught you well.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie snorted in amusement and grabbed the duvet to pull it over them both. As she lay in bed next to her friend, she felt a real sense of accomplishment because, for the first time in her life, she had gotten one over on Theodore Nott.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ SHELL COTTAGE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>April 1998</em>
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</p><p>Harry didn’t know how to feel about the fact he was a godfather. Seeing the pictures of Remus and Tonks’s baby boy had made him happy at first. He felt honoured of course, to be asked to be the little boy's godfather but he didn’t think he deserved the honour.</p><p> </p><p>He was standing by a large window that looked out at the sea when Luna walked up behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“Muggles think these keep evil away,” She said, looking up at the dreamcatcher that dangled in front of the open window, “But they’re wrong.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry frowned and looked away from the window to focus on Luna. She looked at him too, and she smiled in that way that Luna did when she knew something.</p><p> </p><p>“Were you in love with her, Harry?”</p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione,” Luna said dreamily, “Were you in love with her?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry opened his mouth to deny it, but then he shut it and shook his head, “I don’t think so. At the time, I thought I was, but she’s just my friend…”</p><p> </p><p>Luna nodded thoughtfully, “A boy and a girl can just be friends, but they will fall for each other eventually,” she said wisely.</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked out at the ocean as she spoke, “Sometimes temporarily, sometimes at the wrong time and sometimes, forever.”</p><p> </p><p>Luna didn’t ask him which category he and Hermione fell into, but Harry answered anyway, “Then I guess we fell temporarily. Hermione said it right at the start, and she was right…we aren’t right for each other.”</p><p> </p><p>Luna didn’t agree or disagree with him.</p><p> </p><p>“Anyway, Ron’s back,” Harry said, clearing his throat, “So it doesn’t matter.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course it does,” Luna said softly, “It happened, and you can’t erase that. It will always mean something, so it will always matter.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry smiled at her sadly, “You’re so wise, Luna. People underestimate you, they look at you, and they judge you, and they…they have no idea what they are missing out on.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ginny always said that,” Luna said dreamily.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Harry sighed, dreaming of happier times with Ginny, “I miss Ginny.”</p><p> </p><p>“I miss Ginny too,” Luna said, “We had nice chats, but I’m glad she has Neville for company.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry frowned a little, come to think of it, Ginny and Neville were often together when Harry watched Ginny’s dot on the Marauders Map. The thought briefly crossed his mind, but he brushed it off. He was just projecting his own guilt onto them, which wasn’t fair.</p><p> </p><p>“I need to speak to the goblin,” Harry said, clearing his throat and focusing his mind on the mission at hand once more.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>April 1998</em>
</p><p> </p><p>As April came to an end, Pansy told Draco that she had a surprise for him. He had been distant and quiet, so she thought that it might help. He lay in bed with her, and she told him to lie down with his head on her chest.</p><p> </p><p>He looked at her strangely but did as she asked. Pansy then cast a spell, and Draco’s eyes snapped open in alarm.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you hear that?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “Was that…”</p><p> </p><p>“The baby’s heartbeat? Yeah,” Pansy said with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>The sound gave Draco hope, and it was the first time in a long time that he had allowed himself to feel that, “I like that sound.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me too,” Pansy said, weaving her fingers through his hair.</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed and looked up at the top of the four-poster bed as that little heartbeat pounded away in the air between them.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m scared, Pansy,” Draco confided in her, “Something is building. I can feel it, the meetings are being called more regularly, and I can tell how angry the Dark Lord is.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy rolled onto her side and took his hand.</p><p> </p><p>“I think Potter is close.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a good thing,” Pansy murmured, “That means that it will all be over soon.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned, he wasn’t so sure of that, “He seems to think that Potter will come to Hogwarts and if he’s right, then there is going to be a battle here. People are going to die.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy looked him in the eye, “What are you getting at here, Draco?”</p><p> </p><p>“If it comes to that, get out of here,” Draco said. He looked into her eyes, and she saw such desperation there, “Go to that room of Longbottom’s and get out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Run away, you mean,” Pansy said. It was a statement, not a question.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Draco said, “Run away, <em>far </em>away.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy was silent.</p><p> </p><p>“And if I survive it, I’ll come and find you,” Draco finished, resting his hand on her cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“And if you don’t?” Pansy asked, tears burning in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Call the baby Draco?” He said in a feeble attempt at a joke.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy managed a small smile, “What if it’s a girl?”</p><p> </p><p>“Draco is a unisex name,” Draco said, smiling tearfully at her.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re an idiot,” Pansy said. She laughed, but tears fell from her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Draco said, letting a few of his own tears fall. He placed a soft kiss on her lips, “But you love me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I do,” Pansy smiled, “And I will run, I promise.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco breathed a sigh of relief.</p><p> </p><p>“I love this baby as much as you do. I don’t want anything bad to happen to it.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco wrapped his arms around her and murmured against her lips, “I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>She kissed him lightly, letting her eyes drift shut, “I love you too.”</p><p>
  
  
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  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. When Everyone's Lost, the Battle is Won</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ THE SLYTHERINS’ BATHROOM ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“I’m bored.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne rolled her eyes, “I know Theo, you’ve mentioned it a few hundred times this week.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know what you expect us to do,” Sadie said from where she sat next to him, snuggled into his side. Ever since she had kissed him, he had been far more affectionate with her.</p><p> </p><p>“A raid?”</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t have the manpower,” Tracey cut in, “We’ve been through this. There are only four of us; we can’t afford to get caught.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re just hiding out in here though,” Theo complained, “While Draco is swanning around with Pansy like they own the school.”</p><p> </p><p>“We are hiding and staying alive,” Daphne retorted, “It’s not meant to be fun. We’re outlaws; this isn’t a five-star hotel.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo rolled his eyes, “Would be better if it was though.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie shot Daphne an exasperated look as she flicked over the calendar on the wall, “Another month gone.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed and crossed off the date, May 1<sup>st</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” Tracey muttered.</p><p> </p><p>“Me either,” Daphne returned.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE ROOM OF REQUIREMENT ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Suse!”</p><p> </p><p>Susan spun around, “What’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing, but Abe just sent Ariana,” Neville said with a smile, “He has a message for me. Are you alright to keep an eye on things while I disappear?”</p><p> </p><p>Susan nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“Great, see you later,” Neville chirped.</p><p> </p><p>Susan narrowed her eyes and turned around, “Hey, Lil?”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly made her way over, “Yep?”</p><p> </p><p>“Any idea why Neville is so excited about a message that he got from Abe?” Susan asked as they watched Neville disappear down the tunnel.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly shook her head, “No idea, sorry.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE HOGS HEAD ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>When the portrait of Ariana swung away, Neville grinned and roared in delight at the sight before him.</p><p> </p><p>All three of them were there. Harry looked a little rougher than usual, Hermione’s hair was wilder, and Ron had grown a beard, but it was un-mistakenly them. He couldn’t judge them for their appearance anyway, not with his long hair and bruised and battered appearance.</p><p> </p><p>“I knew you’d come! I knew it, Harry!”</p><p> </p><p>Harry was baffled as Neville hugged them all. He laughed and took in his friends appearance, “Neville, what happened to you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh this is nothing,” Neville said with a shake of his head, “Seamus is worse off. It’s the Carrows, the Death Eaters who run the school. Their pretty fond of torture.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“Is Ginny alright?” Neville asked the redhead.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, she’s in hiding with the rest of the family,” Ron replied, guilt flitted across his face, “They had to go into hiding after I was seen helping Harry at Malfoy Manor. That was why Bill and Charlie took her out of school.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Makes sense. It’s just been me since then, well me, Lilly and Susan but Ginny and Luna were the other leaders.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of what?” Harry asked cluelessly.</p><p> </p><p>“The DA,” Neville said as if it were obvious, “Did you really think we’d just been sitting on our arses all year? We’ve been fighting.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry smiled a little proudly, “Of course you have.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled back, “Come on, everyone will be thrilled to see you.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry said his goodbyes to Aberforth. He then followed Neville into the passageway, with Ron and Hermione on his heels. Neville filled him on the events of the year while they walked. Then they reached the Room of Requirement and Neville called, “Oi, you lot!”</p><p> </p><p>They all turned to look at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Didn’t I tell you he would come?”</p><p> </p><p>The room burst into applause. Harry smiled sheepishly, and Neville said to Harry, “I used the coins to call back the rest of the DA. Anyone who still has theirs should receive the call to arms.”</p><p> </p><p>“Brilliant, Neville,” Harry said.</p><p> </p><p>“And the Irishman, that’s Abe’s bodyguard,” Neville explained, “He’s contacted his underground Auror contacts so any that can fight will come too.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry nodded and thanked Neville. He cleared his throat, addressed the room and told them that he expected a battle to take place. He was then bombarded with questions and praise. He tried to tell them what he was doing without actually giving any information away, then the passageway opened again, and Luna and Dean came through. Shortly after them, Ginny, Fred, George, Lee Jordan and Cho Chang entered the room too.</p><p> </p><p>“Harry!”</p><p> </p><p>“Ginny,” Harry said, his face breaking out into a grin.</p><p> </p><p>Ron shook his head, “Honestly, she hasn’t seen me in weeks,” he muttered as Harry and Ginny embraced.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m only her brother,” Ron added.</p><p> </p><p>“She’s got loads of them, but there’s only one Harry,” Seamus teased.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione smiled slightly sadly.</p><p> </p><p>Harry pulled back and said, “I’m glad you’re okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“You too,” Ginny said.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly the air between them felt very awkward.</p><p> </p><p>Harry retreated to talk privately with Ron and Hermione then he addressed them all and told them that they were looking for something to help overthrow Voldemort. He said to them that it had belonged to Ravenclaw and Luna brought up Rowena’s lost diadem.</p><p> </p><p>With that, he and Luna left for the Ravenclaw common room together, and Neville grabbed Lilly, “It’s going to happen. Now that Harry’s here…it’s only a matter of time until a Death Eater sees him and calls You-Know-Who.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly nodded, “Do we put the evacuation plan into place now?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head, “Be ready though, and…if it comes to fight or flight-”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll fight,” Lilly said firmly, “Just like you will.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville sighed and looked her in the eye. The look lingered for longer than usual, “I thought you might say that.”</p><p>
  
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</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE SLYTHERIN DORMITORIES ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>When the dark mark on Draco’s arm burned, he sat up in bed and shook Pansy awake.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong?” Pansy asked sleepily.</p><p> </p><p>“The mark,” Draco answered. He pushed himself to his feet and hissed at the pain in his arm.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s calling you?” Pansy asked fearfully.</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head, “No, a Death Eater has called him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then that means-”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s here, Potter is here,” Draco said quickly, “Which means that the Dark Lord will come here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where are you going?” Pansy asked as he shoved his boots on.</p><p> </p><p>“To fight,” Draco answered. His eyes met hers, “This was what I signed up for to save you. I’m being called up.”</p><p> </p><p>“But Draco, you’re not on his side-”</p><p> </p><p>“I am,” Draco said sharply, “Because I have to be so get out.”</p><p> </p><p>“How?”</p><p> </p><p>“Find a way,” Draco said, pulling her close and kissing her hard, “Please,” he said against her lips.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy sighed and returned the kiss, “I will.”</p><p> </p><p>“Promise me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I promise.”</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
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</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The Room of Requirement emptied pretty quickly after Harry ran into Alecto Carrow in the Ravenclaw common room. She had managed to call Voldemort before they had stunned her, then things started to take off. Snape was thwarted, and he fled from the castle while McGonagall assumed control of the school.</p><p> </p><p>The evacuation was ordered. All wizards under the age of 17 were ordered to leave the castle. Magical protections were to be put in place. McGonagall barked out orders, and while the teachers covered the castle in a vast, strong shield charm, Neville and Seamus left to blow up a bridge.</p><p> </p><p>Suits of armour were mobilised, and the Order of the Phoenix led the evacuation of the students. The youngest were evacuated first, through the Room of Requirement into Hogsmeade.</p><p> </p><p>Then Voldemort’s voice was broadcasted across Hogwarts.</p><p> </p><p>In the bathroom, the Slytherins jumped in alarm and clung to each other as they heard the broadcast echo around the room.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I know that many of you want to fight. Some of you may even think that to fight is wise. But this is a folly. Give me Harry Potter. Do this, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have one hour.”</em>
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</p><p>“What the fuck?” Sadie asked loudly.</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie!” Theo said in alarm.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s here,” Daphne said quietly, “Harry Potter is here, which means that Voldemort is here.”</p><p> </p><p>“And the school is preparing for a battle,” Theo said.</p><p> </p><p>“So what do we do?” Tracey asked, looking between Daphne and Theo, who had become their leaders since Draco’s departure.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I’m going to fight,” Daphne said firmly.</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded, “Me too.”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey reached out and grabbed Sadie’s hand, “So am I.”</p><p> </p><p>“And me,” Sadie finished, “But what are we going to do if we come across Draco? He’s not on our side anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, he is,” Theo said, “He just doesn’t know it yet.”</p><p> </p><p>“He won’t hurt us,” Daphne agreed, “If you see him, just avoid him.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded, “Okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“Come on then,” Daphne said, “What are you waiting for?”</p><p> </p><p>She opened the door, and Theo stepped out immediately. The other two followed her with a little more trepidation.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE GREAT HALL ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>When Voldemort’s announcement came to an end, Pansy shouted, “What are you waiting for? Someone grab him!”</p><p> </p><p>Upon her words, everyone moved to stand in front of Harry.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy scoffed and looked around for Draco. She would never admit how scared she was at that moment. He was lurking in the shadows, and he shot her a desperate look.</p><p> </p><p>“Run,” He mouthed.</p><p> </p><p>Pansy could only nod.</p><p> </p><p>“Mr Filch!” McGonagall called, “Evacuate Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin House immediately.”</p><p> </p><p>Filch nodded and led the Slytherins out of the hall. While the younger students were evacuated, the older students who wanted to stay filed into the Great Hall. Thankfully, nobody realised that Theo, Daphne, Tracey and Sadie were Slytherins because none of them were wearing their school uniform.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on, Draco,” Crabbe said roughly, “We need to hide.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed and let them drag him out of the hall while the Slytherin students were evacuated. He felt safe in the knowledge that Pansy would get out.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE &amp; GROUNDS ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>When the battle began, everyone got separated. The grounds were over-run with Death Eaters, Trolls, Giants, Dementors and Acromantula.</p><p> </p><p>The students were still being evacuated when the Death Eaters breached the castle. While Sadie and Tracey followed Theo out to the grounds where the worst of the fight was taking place, Daphne stayed to make sure that her sister got out of the castle safely.</p><p> </p><p>“You should have left when you had the chance.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne turned around and glared at Alecto Carrow, “The word was that you were tied up in Ravenclaw Tower.”</p><p> </p><p>“You should never listen to rumours, Greengrass.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne looked at the woman with such contempt. She hated her for what she had done to her in the Dark Tower.</p><p> </p><p>“Baubillious!”</p><p> </p><p>“Glacius!”</p><p> </p><p>A bolt of white light and a stream of ice met in-between them, and a duel commenced. Daphne was competent when it came to her knowledge of magic, but she wasn’t the best dueller, so she knew that she couldn’t keep it up forever. Alecto’s spells were vicious, and she knew that the first hex or curse that hit her would kill her.</p><p> </p><p>“Pick on someone your own age, Alecto.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto laughed, “Charlie Weasley. Did you bring any dragons with you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I don’t need dragons to kick your arse.”</p><p> </p><p>Alecto smirked and took her attention away from Daphne to throw a nasty curse at the backs of the retreating students.</p><p> </p><p>“PROTEGO!” Daphne screamed.</p><p> </p><p>The shield charm that materialised was very powerful, and it absorbed Alecto’s spell. But Daphne had turned her back on Alecto to cast it.</p><p> </p><p>“Orbis!”</p><p> </p><p>The ground swallowed Alecto up. There was a scream as it closed over, and returned to its original state.</p><p> </p><p>“Death by Devils Snare, because nature is a bitch, and so are you!” Charlie shouted after her.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne breathed a sigh of relief, Astoria was on the grand staircase. She would be safe now.</p><p> </p><p>“You okay?” Charlie called.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne nodded, “Fine now that my sister is getting out of here. Thanks, Weasley!” she added as she ran into the grounds. The sight before her was one of the most horrific and surreal. Duels were going on everywhere, and in every direction she looked, she saw someone that she knew.</p><p> </p><p>She grinned when she saw Sadie and Tracey standing on a balcony with Professor Trelawney, Lavender and Parvati. They were throwing crystal balls at any Death Eaters who got too close.</p><p> </p><p>“Daphne!”</p><p> </p><p>She spun on her heel when she heard the voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Susan!”</p><p> </p><p>Susan was in the midst of a duel with Travers, who was a very experienced dueller. She could tell that her friend was struggling, Susan couldn’t take him on her own. She was also surrounded by Death Eaters.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne ran in to help her and stood with her back against the Hufflepuff’s.</p><p> </p><p>“Confringo!” Susan yelled, sending Travers flying into the lake.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne focused on the Death Eater who was advancing on her and cast a knee reversing hex. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re outnumbered,” Daphne said, “Any ideas?”</p><p> </p><p>Susan shook her head, “In a word? No.”</p><p> </p><p>At that point, they heard a faint whizzing sound and the four Death Eaters advancing on them all fell silently to the ground. Daphne frowned when she saw an arrow in the neck of each one.</p><p> </p><p>Then Lilly stepped out of the smoke and grinned, “Always wanted to try archery. You girls need to be more careful.”</p><p> </p><p>Susan grabbed her hand and pulled her towards them, “You’re staying,” she ordered.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne nodded her agreement, “Did you kill them?”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” Lilly shrugged, “Arrow to the carotid artery, might kill, might paralyse or leave them brain dead. They might make a full recovery, but if they do it will be in Azkaban.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re vicious, you’re definitely staying,” Daphne agreed, “I’m Daphne by the way.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m Lilly.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m Susan, can we make friends later and focus on the battle going on right now?” Susan asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“Incoming!” Daphne said as a band of Death Eaters approached them.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s hit them with it then,” Lilly said, “Aqua Eructo!”</p><p> </p><p>A blast of water hit their feet, and they began to slide.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne grinned, “Glacius!”</p><p> </p><p>The water turned to ice, and the Death Eaters began to slide all over the place.</p><p> </p><p>“Depulso!” Susan cried.</p><p> </p><p>The powerful spell sent the Death Eaters flying back at high speed, and they crashed through one of the greenhouses.</p><p> </p><p>“Susan! The greenhouse! What would Nev say?”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up about the greenhouse Lilly!”</p><p> </p><p>“More incoming,” Lilly said as another group of Death Eaters approached them.</p><p> </p><p>“Either these guys are really stupid or they just like getting their arses kicked,” Susan retorted.</p><p> </p><p>“They are <em>really </em>stupid,” Daphne assured the other two girls.</p><p> </p><p>The three girls stood in a triangular shape, facing out at the Death Eaters.</p><p> </p><p>“Suse, is the coast clear on your front for a big explosion?” Daphne asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Yep, how about on your front, Lil?” Susan asked.</p><p> </p><p>“All clear.”</p><p> </p><p>“On the count of three then,” Daphne said as the Death Eaters approached, “One…two…three…Confringo!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Neville and Hannah were running through the grounds together. Neville was sending curses at any Death Eaters that they saw. Hannah kept a shield charm over them as they raced towards Greyback. They had seen him chase after a group of DA members which included Parvati, Padma and Lavender.</p><p> </p><p>When they caught up with the werewolf, he had been side-tracked by a group of second years that hadn’t managed to escape. They were huddled up against the castle wall.</p><p> </p><p>Hannah yelled, “Protego!”</p><p> </p><p>Greyback growled and turned around. Neville jumped in front of her and cast a piercing charm at the werewolf, it hit him in the arm and pushed him back.</p><p> </p><p>Greyback turned and ran off on all fours.</p><p> </p><p>“Get those kids out of here!” Neville yelled.</p><p> </p><p>Hannah nodded and ushered the second years back into the school. Neville then ran after Greyback, but he got side-tracked once more in the clocktower courtyard.</p><p> </p><p>“THEO!”</p><p> </p><p>Neville stopped in his tracks because he knew that voice, it belonged to Sadie. Neville turned and saw Theo, locked in a duel with Mulciber.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie’s scream had been because of the ray of red light that was directed at Theo. The Slytherin fell to his knees, and Neville stepped in, “Avis! Oppugno!”</p><p> </p><p>Mulciber ended the curse as the birds began to flap around his head and peck at his face. Neville grabbed Theo’s hand and pulled him to his feet as MacNair advanced on them.</p><p> </p><p>“Ever done back to back duelling?” Neville asked him as he pressed his back against Theo’s.</p><p> </p><p>“Nope,” Theo called over the thundering of Giants' feet.</p><p> </p><p>“Me either!” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, there’s a first time for everything!” Theo joked.</p><p> </p><p>“Arresto Momentum!” Neville yelled. The spell hit MacNair and froze him in mid-air.</p><p> </p><p>“Protego!” Theo shouted as an army of spiders began to crawl towards them.</p><p> </p><p>“Won’t work against Acromantula!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well do something that will work Herbology geek! Cause I fucking hate spiders!”</p><p> </p><p>“Ariania Exumai!” Neville shouted, blasting the spiders away in all directions, “Herbology geek?”</p><p> </p><p>“Avifors!” Theo said, and with a loud cluck, Mulciber turned into a bird, “I’m not good with insults under pressure!”</p><p> </p><p>“I noticed!” Neville yelled.</p><p> </p><p>MacNair broke free from Neville’s curse and began to say, “Avada-”</p><p> </p><p>“Alarte Ascendare!” Theo yelled, he threw the curse over his shoulder and hit MacNair square in the chest with it. The Death Eater was blasted several feet into the air.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s the problem with that spell, takes too long for the eejits to get it out,” Theo said as he cast his eyes up to the balcony, “SADIE! Behind you!”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie spun around and cried, “Locomotor Mortis!”</p><p> </p><p>The Death Eaters legs locked together and he fell several feet off of the balcony.</p><p> </p><p>Theo grinned, “I fucking love her!”</p><p> </p><p>“Does she know that yet?” Neville asked as a wave of snatchers approached them, one of them being Scabior.</p><p> </p><p>“Fatbottom, on your right!”</p><p> </p><p>“Fatbottom? In the middle of a duel? Really?” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>“Diffindo!” The two boys yelled in unison.</p><p> </p><p>Theo hit Scabior in the chest and wounded him pretty deeply.</p><p> </p><p>But Neville’s curse hit the other snatcher in the neck and decapitated him.</p><p> </p><p>“Shit.”</p><p> </p><p>“How the fuck did you do that?” Theo yelled.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t mean to,” Neville admitted, “Too much power, I guess. I need to go and kill a werewolf, tell Sadie you love her while you’ve got the chance!”</p><p> </p><p>While Neville ran through the grounds, he saw McGonagall kill a Death Eater who was about to fire a curse at Daphne. Then he saw his grandmother destroying Yaxley in a duel, and he grinned proudly. He saw Flitwick, who he knew was a master dueller, take down both Crabbe and Goyle Senior.</p><p> </p><p>But when he reached Greyback, he was too late.</p><p> </p><p>Harry, Ron and Hermione were running too.</p><p> </p><p>He heard Hermione’s cry of, “No!”</p><p> </p><p>There was a blast of light, and Greyback was thrown to his death.</p><p> </p><p>The trio continued to run, but Neville knelt by Lavender’s side, “Lavender,” he breathed.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes were open, her body convulsed. She was losing so much blood.</p><p> </p><p>“Neville,” Lavender choked.</p><p> </p><p>He grabbed her hand, “It’s okay Lavender, you’re going to be okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Lavender gasped, “Neville, please. Even if I…survive…I’ll be…like…him.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s eyes filled with tears.</p><p> </p><p>“Please,” She begged, “Please…end it…please…it…hurts.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shut his eyes tightly and gripped Lavenders hand. He leant down and hugged her, aware that he would be covered in her blood. He placed his wand on her chest and placed a kiss to her cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“Cor Spissamentum,” He murmured.</p><p> </p><p>Lavender gasped, and her eyes fluttered shut. Neville had used a spell that stopped her heart instantly; it was the most painless way to put her out of her misery. He pushed himself to his feet and cried out angrily, throwing himself into a duel with Rookwood.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“I should have known you would pick the wrong side!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo turned around the minute he heard that voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Father.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do not call me Father,” Alfred Nott hissed, “You are a waste of space, and you always were!”</p><p> </p><p>Alfred raised his hand and began to form the word, ‘Crucio’ but before he could, Theo yelled, “Incendio Tria!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo aimed the spell at his feet, and a violent wave of fire coursed towards him, setting his Death Eater robes on fire, “Always thought those robes looked stupid!”</p><p> </p><p>Alfred just laughed and put the fire out with water, “Poetic Theodore, but ineffective. That does rather sum you up.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo fired a knee-reversing hex at him, but it was met by a cruciatus curse. The red light cracked through the blue and hit Theo square in the chest.</p><p> </p><p>The pain didn’t last for long because an unfamiliar voice bellowed, “Reducto!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo watched in disbelief as his father was blown to smithereens. He squinted through the haze of fog and smoke and saw that the caster had been Bill Weasley.</p><p> </p><p>“You bastard!” Theo yelled, “I’ve wanted to kill that piece of shit for years!”</p><p> </p><p>“You can thank me later!” Bill shouted. He ran towards the castle as a massive explosion racked the fifth floor and sent a chunk of wall flying down into the courtyard.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll buy you a drink!” Theo yelled as he stopped the rubble from falling on a group of Hufflepuffs who were fighting.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Theo!”</p><p> </p><p>“Your welcome Suse!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Draco couldn’t avoid it forever. When the battle started, he slipped away from Crabbe and Goyle and took off his disillusionment charm. He ended up in the grounds, and that was when he saw her.</p><p> </p><p>She was in a duel. His heart leapt into his throat, and he ran towards her.</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy, no!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco pushed her aside and cast a curse in the direction of the Death Eater that she had been duelling, “Run! I told you to run!”</p><p> </p><p>“I tried, but the route was blocked with Death Eaters!” Pansy said breathily.</p><p> </p><p>“Get out of here!” Draco said desperately, “However you can, please. Get out or hide!”</p><p> </p><p>She took a step back but didn’t make a move to leave. Draco dodged a curse and threw up a shield charm. He turned back to the Death Eater he was duelling and said, “Pansy, please go. I can’t lose our baby, I’ve lost too much already.”</p><p> </p><p>Unbeknownst to him, Pansy had seen a flash of red light heading straight for Draco from the wand of the Auror Dawlish. She took a step and shielded him; the spell hit her square in the chest.</p><p> </p><p>Draco took the Death Eater out with a nasty home-made curse then turned around to make sure that Pansy had left.</p><p> </p><p>When he saw her, lying in a heap with Dawlish standing above her, he felt his heart sink, “Pansy!”</p><p> </p><p>Dawlish stepped towards him.</p><p> </p><p>“Stupefy!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco didn’t even look up to see who had cast the curse, but it had been Theo.</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy!” He cried as he dropped to his knees by her side.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes were fluttering.</p><p> </p><p>“Pansy, it’s okay,” Draco said, his voice shook, “It’s okay, you’re going to be okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Pansy looked up at Draco. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out, then the light drained from her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“NO!” Draco screamed.</p><p> </p><p>He got to his feet and cursed the Death Eaters that were advancing on him in a blind rage. When they all fell where they stood, he dropped to his knees next to her and sobbed, “No.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not here,” A broken voice said.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Draco sobbed.</p><p> </p><p>Strong arms pulled him up and dragged him away from her lifeless body. He felt numb and empty. It took him a minute to work out that the arms belonged to Theo. He dragged him to a secret passageway by the lake, one which led into the dungeons.</p><p> </p><p>Once they were inside, Draco screamed in rage, and Theo held him tightly as he cried and shouted, “HOW COULD SHE DIE? AFTER EVERYTHING THAT I DID FOR HER? I DID IT ALL TO KEEP HER SAFE, AND NOW SHE’S GONE! THEY ARE BOTH GONE, THEO! IT WAS ALL IN VEIN!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco carried on in this vein until he had exhausted himself. He slid down the wall and sat cradling his head in his hands with his knees drawn up.</p><p> </p><p>Theo sat down next to him but didn’t say a word.</p><p> </p><p>“I loved her,” Draco choked out, “She was my chance at redemption. She was my hope for a better life.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Theo said softly.</p><p> </p><p>“And now she’s gone.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo let his head fall into his hands too, “Yeah. She’s gone.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Draco couldn’t stand to do nothing while the battle raged. Theo went back out to fight, but Draco used the tunnel to get back into the school then he grabbed Crabbe and Goyle.</p><p> </p><p>“Where we going, Draco?”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re going to find the Auror who killed Pansy,” Draco hissed, “And I’m going to kill him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you reckon we should follow Potter?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco saw Harry up ahead and nodded, “I want my fucking wand back,” he hissed.</p><p> </p><p>He disillusioned himself and instructed Crabbe and Goyle to do the same. Then he followed Harry, Ron and Hermione them into the room of hidden things.</p><p> </p><p>They caught up with them just as they grabbed the lost diadem of Ravenclaw.</p><p> </p><p>Draco took the disillusionment charm off and walked forwards, “Well, well. What brings you here, Potter?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked up at him, “I could ask you the same thing,” he said smoothly.</p><p> </p><p>“You have something of mine,” Draco said, his eyes going to his wand, the one that was in Harry’s hand, “I’d like it back.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry met his eyes, unfazed by the three wands that were pointed in his face, “What’s wrong with the one you have?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s my mothers,” Draco replied irritably, “It’s powerful, but it’s not the same. Doesn’t quite understand me, know what I mean?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry narrowed his eyes and took a step back. Draco seemed somewhat unhinged, there was a madness in his eyes, and he reeked of anger and revenge.</p><p> </p><p>“Why didn’t you tell her?” Harry asked, meeting Draco’s eyes once more, “Bellatrix? You knew it was me, but you didn’t say anything.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco visibly swallowed.</p><p> </p><p>“Go on, Draco,” Crabbe hissed, “Don’t be a prat, do it!”</p><p> </p><p>“Easy,” Draco muttered, his wand hand shook.</p><p> </p><p>“Expelliarmus!” Hermione shouted as she rounded the corner.</p><p> </p><p>Draco’s wand fell to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>“Avada Ked-” Goyle began to shout, aiming his wand at Hermione.</p><p> </p><p>“Stupefy!” She yelled back.</p><p> </p><p>Draco ran, and the others followed him. Then Crabbe was stupid enough to unleash fiendfyre on the room. The flames roared out of control and licked all around them. He and Goyle began to climb, and Crabbe followed them, but he was slower. He lost his footing and yelled. Draco reached down to grab him, but he fell into the fire.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, come on!” Goyle yelled.</p><p> </p><p>They clambered upwards then Harry, Ron and Hermione flew overhead on broomsticks. Ron roughly chucked Goyle onto his and Harry deftly swept Draco up. They hunkered down as they raced the flames to the door.</p><p> </p><p>They crashed out of the room and the door shut behind them with a piercing shriek.</p><p> </p><p>Draco got to his feet and backed away. When it became apparent that the trio were not going to attack him, he left Goyle unconscious in the corridor and ran.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When dawn began to break through the darkness, Voldemort’s voice filled all of their heads again.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You have fought valiantly but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I, therefore, command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Harry Potter. I now speak directly to you. On this night you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonour. Join me in the Forbidden Forest and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The Death Eaters all disappeared in flashes and blurs, and puffs of black smoke.</p><p> </p><p>Everything was eerily silent for a moment until cries, shouts and sobs began to fill the grounds.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When Draco walked into the great hall, he saw Theo laying Pansy’s body down amongst all of the other dead. He stood stoically by his friend's side as he looked down at Pansy and felt the most profound sense of loss.</p><p> </p><p>At that point, Daphne walked into the hall with Susan and Lilly. Her eyes widened when she saw Pansy’s body. She ran across the room and enveloped Draco in a hug. He held her tightly and tried to keep it together.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh no,” Sadie breathed when she entered the hall and saw Pansy’s body.</p><p> </p><p>Theo tore himself away from Draco and walked over to her. They hugged the moment they met in the middle of the hall.</p><p> </p><p>“She’s dead,” Theo said, pressing a kiss into her hair.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie let out a small sob.</p><p> </p><p>“But you’re alive,” Theo said, holding her a little tighter, “You’re okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie gripped him just as tightly.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey rushed to Daphne. She hugged her the minute that she released Draco and the group of friends shared a silent, solemn reunion.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Neville lay Lavender’s body down in the hall and felt a lump rise in his throat when he saw Parvati’s body a few feet away. Padma lay across her, sobbing her heart out while Luna held her.</p><p> </p><p>He cast his eyes around the hall, around the bodies lined up in the centre of it. He felt tears prick at his eyes when he saw Fred’s body. All of the Weasleys were gathered around him, and George’s sobs could be heard across the hall.</p><p> </p><p>Not far away were the bodies of Remus and Tonks. Then he saw Lilly, and he breathed a sigh of relief. She was leaning over the body of a boy that he didn’t recognise at first. But then he realised that the boy, whose face had been slashed, was Stephen Cornfoot. He was her friend; he had helped her out a lot in the Room of Requirement.</p><p> </p><p>Neville walked up to her and gripped her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>She jumped and spun around, but then she breathed a sigh of relief when she realised that it was Neville. She got to her feet and flung her arms around his neck. He lifted her off the ground a little to hold her tightly, “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly wiped her tears away when he set her down, “Yeah. Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Neville returned. He reached down and grabbed her hand, “Do you know where the others are? I haven’t seen Susan or Seamus.”</p><p> </p><p>“Susan is fine,” Lilly replied, “We fought together for the most part. She was in the grounds with Oliver, gathering bodies.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville saw Seamus across the hall and nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to help Madam Pomfrey heal the wounded,” Lilly said weakly.</p><p> </p><p>“Lilly,” Neville said, grabbing her wrist as she tried to walk away.</p><p> </p><p>She stopped and turned to look at him, “Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Neville said, kissing her on the forehead.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly smiled weakly, “I’m glad you’re okay too, Nev,” she said. Then she walked over to the other side of the hall where Madam Pomfrey and a few others were tending to the wounded.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Harry snuck out to the forest without saying goodbye to anyone. Then Voldemort showed up in the entrance courtyard to gloat. They all went outside as Voldemort walked forward, Hagrid followed him with Harry’s body in his arms.</p><p> </p><p>Neville led the survivors outside. He limped out, his face covered in cuts and blood, not all of it his. The others followed him, and they all took a stance against Voldemort as his surviving Death Eaters filtered into the courtyard.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny was behind Neville, and he could hear the panic in her voice when she saw Harry in Hagrid’s arm. She asked, “Who is that?”</p><p> </p><p>Arthur stepped forward and grabbed his daughter.</p><p> </p><p>“Neville, who is it?” Ginny asked again.</p><p> </p><p>Neville stared resolutely ahead, praying that he was wrong.</p><p> </p><p>“Harry Potter is dead!” Voldemort cried.</p><p> </p><p>“NO!” Ginny cried. Arthur stopped her as she tried to run forward. He held her tightly, as Remus had held Harry after Sirius died, “NO!”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione sobbed and grabbed Ron’s hand. The redheaded boy swallowed and averted his gaze from Harry’s body.</p><p> </p><p>“Harry Potter is dead,” Voldemort said again, “From this day forth, you put your faith in me. HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!”</p><p> </p><p>The Death Eaters all laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“And now is the time to declare yourself! Come forward and join us!” Voldemort said.</p><p> </p><p>Nobody moved.</p><p> </p><p>Then a hoarse voice came from across the battlefield, “Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco swallowed as they all turned to look at him. He stood on the steps with Theo. The girls stood a little bit further behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, come, Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>He made no move to join them. He refused to make eye contact with his father.</p><p> </p><p>But then his mother spoke, “Draco,” she pleaded softly, “Come.”</p><p> </p><p>He swallowed again.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t,” Theo muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Draco ignored him. He walked slowly down the steps, keeping his eyes down to avoid their shameful stares. He walked across the battlefield, and Voldemort welcomed him back, “Well done, Draco, well done.”</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort wrapped his arms around Draco in the most creepy, cold hug possible. Draco swallowed and remained stoic. He did not move; he did not say a word. When he reached his parents, his father tried to touch him, but he shrugged off his touch.</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa placed her hand on Draco’s back and pushed him away from Lucius.</p><p> </p><p>Neville limped forward, and Voldemort mocked him, “Well, I must say, I’d hoped for better.”</p><p> </p><p>The Death Eaters laughed, none more than Bellatrix Lestrange. Draco didn’t laugh; he didn’t laugh because he admired the hell out of Neville Longbottom in that moment.</p><p> </p><p>“And who might you be, young man?”</p><p> </p><p>“Neville Longbottom.”</p><p> </p><p>These words elicited yet more laughter which made Neville’s expression grow even stonier.</p><p> </p><p>“Neville, I’m sure we can find a place for you in our ranks,” Voldemort said scathingly.</p><p> </p><p>“I’d like to say something,” Neville interrupted.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, Neville. I am sure we would all be fascinated to hear what you have to say,” Voldemort said, his voice dripping with malice.</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t matter that Harry’s gone,” Neville began.</p><p> </p><p>“Stand down, Neville!” Seamus called.</p><p> </p><p>Neville just turned to look at his friends, “People die every day! Friends…family. Yeah, we lost Harry tonight, but he’s still with us in <em>here</em>,” He pressed his hand to his chest and caught Lilly’s eye across the courtyard, “So is Fred and Remus, Tonks, all of them. They didn’t die in vain!”</p><p> </p><p>Neville turned back to Voldemort, “But you will! Because you’re wrong! Harry’s heart did beat for us, for all of us!”</p><p> </p><p>Neville pulled the sword of Gryffindor out of the sorting hat, “And it’s not over!”</p><p> </p><p>At that point, Harry jumped out of Hagrid’s arms.</p><p> </p><p>“Potter!” Draco yelled, and he threw Harry his wand.</p><p> </p><p>Harry caught it deftly and shot a curse at Nagini, “Confringo!”</p><p> </p><p>There was a gasp around the students. In the madness, Narcissa gripped Draco and yanked him towards the gates, away from the battle.</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort blasted his wand in Harry’s direction in a fit of rage, but Harry ran away and ducked.</p><p> </p><p>Everywhere, Death Eaters began to flee. They disappeared in puffs of smoke and Lucius turned on his heel and ran after Narcissa and Draco.</p><p> </p><p>Harry pulled the invisibility cloak out and covered himself with it in the confusion.</p><p> </p><p>Neville lifted the sword of Gryffindor and brought it down over Nagini in one fell swoop. There was a shriek as the final Horcrux was defeated.</p><p> </p><p>Theo ran forward and yelled, “Protego!” as a curse flew towards Neville from one of the Death Eaters that had stayed.</p><p> </p><p>“That was fucking awesome!”</p><p> </p><p>Neville dropped the sword in favour of his wand, “Thanks!”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve got to be friends after all this!” Theo yelled.</p><p> </p><p>“Bombarda!” Neville yelled, blasting back a Death Eater, “Yeah, I reckon you’re right!”</p><p> </p><p>Harry ran past them into the Great Hall. The DA, the Order of the Phoenix and what was left of the Aurors were gradually picking off the stragglers that hadn’t fled.</p><p> </p><p>While Voldemort duelled McGonagall, Slughorn and Kingsley, an Auror stepped in front of Sadie and blasted one of the stray Death Eaters.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorenson!” Sadie cried, jumping into her big brother's arms.</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie!” He shouted as he hugged her tightly.</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked around the hall and saw Bellatrix shooting curses at Ginny, Luna and Hermione. A killing curse flew past Ginny’s head, and Molly stepped forward. She threw Bellatrix back with a powerful blast of magic and crushed her against the wall, “Not my daughter, you bitch!” She cried.</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort saw his most loyal follower fall, and he began to advance on Molly.</p><p> </p><p>Harry threw off the invisibility cloak and cast a powerful shield charm over the woman that he considered as a mother.</p><p> </p><p>Harry then faced Voldemort, while the survivors looked on. Sadie was in her brother's arms, and Theo and Neville had just limped into the hall together. Daphne and Tracey were helping Lilly patch up Susan who had a large gash in her leg.</p><p> </p><p>They all watched the final battle between good and evil. They watched Harry tell Voldemort that there was a flaw in his plan because he thought he was the Master of the Elder Wand. He thought that he had become the Master by killing Snape, but he was wrong.</p><p> </p><p>The fear on Voldemort’s face was apparent.</p><p> </p><p>Harry told him how Snape hadn’t disarmed Dumbledore, <em>Draco </em>had. Harry told him that he had taken control of Draco’s wand in Malfoy Manor, which meant that he was the Master of the Elder Wand.</p><p> </p><p>When the sun broke through the horizon, Voldemort snapped and fired a killing curse at Harry. Harry countered it by shouting, “Expelliarmus!”</p><p> </p><p>The two charms met in the middle, and Voldemort’s wand flew out of his hand. Harry caught it deftly and pointed out that the Elder Wand refused to kill its true owner. Voldemort’s killing curse rebounded on him, and he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap of skin and bones.</p><p> </p><p>The hall erupted into cheers. People grabbed their friends and hugged them. Ron grabbed Hermione and kissed her. Peeves burst into song.</p><p> </p><p>As the sun broke through and a new day dawned, they celebrated because it was over and they cried for all that they had lost.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Is There Room for One More Son?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>2<sup>nd</sup> May 1998</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>All Harry wanted was to run away and hide from it all. He slipped the invisibility cloak on at the first chance he got, and snuck through the hall. On his way, he saw Hermione being treated by a short girl with dark hair that he didn’t recognise.</p><p> </p><p>“When did this happen?” She asked.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione winced, “In the first stage of the battle, yesterday.”</p><p> </p><p>The girl looked down at Hermione disapprovingly, “It’s going to scar! You should have seen someone for it sooner.”</p><p> </p><p>“It didn’t hurt until the adrenaline wore off,” Hermione said quietly, “And there were people worse off than me, Lilly.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry swallowed as he looked at the long, deep cuts on Hermione’s back.</p><p> </p><p>The girl, Lilly, sighed, “Well I’m going to need to take you to the hospital wing. There’s fabric inside the cuts, I’ll have to clean them out which will hurt by the way. Then I’ll close them up, what spell did this?”</p><p> </p><p>“It was some sort of magical whip,” Hermione said, dropping the fabric of her top and following Lilly out of the hall.</p><p> </p><p>Harry stepped out into the entrance hall and watched them ascend the stairs as he lamented all that he had taken from Hermione, all that she had given up for him, and all that she has suffered because of him.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>When it was all over, Neville just wanted to sleep in his own bed. He had spent the majority of the year sleeping in chairs, on sofas or in a hammock. He felt physically and mentally exhausted by the time he managed to slip away from the celebrations. He smiled when he passed Lilly in the hospital wing. She was fast asleep in a chair by Susan’s bed, her hand in her friends.</p><p> </p><p>By the time Neville dragged himself through the empty Gryffindor common room into the dorm room, it was midday. He smiled when he saw that Harry’s curtains were half-drawn; he wasn’t the only one who needed to escape.</p><p> </p><p>The boy-who-lived was curled up in the foetal position. He was marred with cuts and bruises, and blood had stained the white bedsheets.</p><p> </p><p>Neville cast a general healing charm over Harry then crawled into his bed and fell into a deep sleep.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ MALFOY MANOR ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>When Narcissa and Draco got home, they stood at the gates.</p><p> </p><p>“I do not think I can go in.”</p><p> </p><p>“What if there are still Death Eaters in there?” Draco asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa swallowed.</p><p> </p><p>“Where else can we go, Mother?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think there is somewhere we are needed,” Narcissa said honestly. She took her son's hand, “We should go and inform Hyacinth and Oberon that their daughter perished in the battle.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco’s eyes darkened, “Mother…”</p><p> </p><p>“They need to know Draco,” Narcissa said, a sternness in her voice.</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed, and they turned away from the gates just as Lucius appeared in a puff of black smoke.</p><p> </p><p>“I left, I abandoned him-”</p><p> </p><p>“It is too little, and it is much too late Lucius!” Narcissa hissed, “Stupefy! Incarcerous!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco watched silently as she cast a banishing charm on him.</p><p> </p><p>“Where did you send him?”</p><p> </p><p>“To the Auror department in the Ministry,” Narcissa replied, “There, he will be punished.”</p><p> </p><p>“As will we,” Draco said quietly, “We lost the war, and we are to blame too.”</p><p> </p><p>“You are a child, you were coerced into doing awful things by cruel men,” Narcissa said, touching his face, “You will be fine, my love.”</p><p> </p><p>“And what about you?”</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa’s smile was false, “I shall be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>She held her hand out to him, “Come.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco took her hand, and they apparated to Parkinson House together. Draco held it together as Narcissa informed Oberon of his daughter's fate. The tall, greying man nodded, swallowed hard and hid his true emotions.</p><p> </p><p>But then Hyacinth let out a heart-wrenching cry of, “NO!” and Draco broke down all over again.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE GRYFFINDOR DORMITORIES ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>When Neville woke up, it was light outside. He checked the time; he had slept through the afternoon and the previous night. It was the morning of May 3<sup>rd</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Then he realised that Harry was still here. He lay in his bed, staring up at the top of the four-poster.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s over.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked up when he heard Neville’s voice, “Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why aren’t you celebrating?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I could ask you the same question,” Harry pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>Neville shrugged and sat down on the edge of Harry’s bed, “I didn’t feel much like celebrating. I saw people I love fighting for their lives. I saw people die, and I had to kill.”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Harry said, “That’s why I’m not celebrating.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville lay down next to him on the bed. They both stared up at the ceiling silently.</p><p> </p><p>“I had to kill Lavender,” Neville said quietly, “She was still alive after Greyback…”</p><p> </p><p>Harry grimaced.</p><p> </p><p>“And she was in so much pain,” Neville said, his eyes filling with tears, “She asked me to end it, so I did. I made it fast and painless, but it…Harry, I think it will haunt me for the rest of my life.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah Nev,” Harry said, shutting his eyes tightly, “I know what you mean.”</p><p> </p><p>They fell silent as the birds sang outside the tower window.</p><p> </p><p>Harry sighed, “I need to go. Everyone will be wondering where I am and Ginny…” he frowned, “She’ll need me, her brother died.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Neville said, his voice thick with emotion, “She will need you.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry got to his feet, and Neville said, “Are you two going to get back together then?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry frowned, “I don’t know. I did some bad things during the war.”</p><p> </p><p>“We all did bad things during the war,” Neville assured Harry.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Harry sighed, he rested his head against one of the bedposts, “The kind of things that I don’t think my sort-of girlfriend can forgive.”</p><p> </p><p>Realisation shone in Neville’s eyes, “Oh.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Neville said carefully, “Ginny did those things too. She uh…she was convinced that you weren’t together.”</p><p> </p><p>“We weren’t,” Harry admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“And she uh…she made some stupid decisions, and I did too,” Neville admitted.</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked up and caught his eye.</p><p> </p><p>“And I regret it so much,” Neville continued, “Because that wasn’t what you meant when you told me to look after her. But we led the DA together, we were so close, and things were so intense and – it happened.”</p><p> </p><p>“Just once?” Harry asked.</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s cheeks burned, “Eh no. More than once for a couple of weeks until Lilly snapped me out of it, made me realise how much of a shit friend I was being.”</p><p> </p><p>“Lilly?” Harry asked.</p><p> </p><p>“My friend,” Neville said offhandedly, “So I understand if you can’t forgive-”</p><p> </p><p>“Neville,” Harry interrupted him, “We weren’t together and I…I made a similar mistake that I regret on so many levels during the war. Don’t be stupid, you beheaded his snake for me, you have no idea how important that was, but I’ll tell you one day. I lost a lot of friends and some family in this war and I…I don’t want to lose you over something as stupid as this. We weren’t together and as long as you didn’t hurt her, thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked up, “You’re thanking me?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry nodded. “Thank you for being there for her.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville drew him in for a hug.</p><p> </p><p>Harry revelled in human contact, regular human contact.</p><p> </p><p>“So you and Hermione then?” Neville guessed.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Harry sighed, “Ron left, he was gone for a couple of months. It was just me and Hermione, stuck in this little tent together. I nearly died and then…that happened.”</p><p> </p><p>“Just once?” Neville guessed.</p><p> </p><p>Harry shook his head and shut his eyes, “No, more than once for a couple of weeks.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sounds familiar,” Neville admitted with a sheepish smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Ron knows,” Harry added, unsure why he was telling Neville all of this, “He came back and saved my life, and I couldn’t lie to him. He’s my best friend, and I slept with the girl he loves. I mean you can’t sit on that knowledge and not say anything, can you?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville shook his head, “I couldn’t,” he admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Neither could I,” Harry sighed, “He wasn’t even angry, which was what made it so hard. He was upset, and he had every right to be but…we’ll find a way back from it, I know we can.”</p><p> </p><p>“He kissed Hermione in the final battle,” Neville pointed out, “So I think he must have forgiven her.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hope so,” Harry said simply.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Most of them stayed to bury the dead and fix the school. Daphne left to look after Astoria, Sadie was forced to go home by Sorenson. But Theo and Tracey stayed because they didn’t have anyone to go home too. Theo’s father was dead, and he had never gotten on very well with his stepmother who was now the Mistress of Nott Manor. Tracey’s parents were dead, and her brothers had been rounded up amongst the injured after the final battle. The Aurors had patched them up and arrested them.</p><p> </p><p>While some of them fixed the school, others dug graves. Harry and Neville were amongst those who dug out countless graves around Dumbledore’s tomb. While Hermione erected a beautifully ornate fence, and others made tombstones, Harry and Neville shovelled for an entire day. They thought the dead deserved a proper burial, and to both of them, that meant the graves shouldn’t have been dug with magic.</p><p> </p><p>They had a mass funeral for most of the fallen. Some, like Pansy, were taken away to BE buried with family but Fred, Remus, Tonks, Lavender, Parvati and Stephen were all buried in the graveyard of the fallen. That day was one of the hardest of Harry’s life. He stood with his hand in Ginny’s as body after body after body was lowered into the ground. The earth was filled in, flowers were laid on each grave, and a family member gave a small tribute to each fallen hero.</p><p> </p><p>George spoke for his twin brother, and he broke down as he did so. Bill had to stand up and help him through it. Then he ushered his brother away, and he was drawn into a Weasley hug. Harry stood on the sidelines; he didn’t feel like he deserved to be a part of it. Padma couldn’t speak for her sister and her best friend; she had just lost too much. Neville gave a tribute, and Lilly held Padma tightly as she sobbed through it. Then Lilly gave a tribute to Stephen.</p><p> </p><p>Andromeda spoke for her daughter with a tiny baby boy in her arms. Harry cried with her as she lamented her loss. Then he, as the last family that Remus had, spoke for the man he had loved like a father.</p><p> </p><p>“Remus Lupin was a kind man,” Harry said, unashamed of the tears that rolled down his cheeks, “He was a forgiving man, but above all else, he was a loving man. He loved with all of his heart, and everyone he loved was so blessed.”</p><p> </p><p>His eyes fell on Andromeda, “He loved his wife, and he adored his son. I am only sorry that he will not get to bring up that little boy. But I think he’s going to be okay because he has his grandmother and he has a family who love him.</p><p> </p><p>And Remus would have agreed with me on this because, in the end, love is all that really matters. If you have love, you can make everything else work.”</p><p> </p><p>He stepped down, and Molly hugged him. He held her tightly and cried into her embrace while she stroked his hair. He pulled back and said, “I’m sorry, Molly. You shouldn’t be comforting me.”</p><p> </p><p>Molly shook her head tearfully, her eyes on Fred’s grave, “I cannot allow the rest of my children to suffer because I have lost one.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry’s voice got lost in his throat. He let go of her hand and walked over to Andromeda. He barely knew the woman but the little boy in her arms was his Godson, so he expected that they would get close soon enough.</p><p> </p><p>“I uh…I’m his Godfather.”</p><p> </p><p>Andromeda smiled tearfully and handed him the baby, “I know, and what a lucky boy he is because of that.”</p><p> </p><p>She kissed Harry on the cheek.</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked down at the tiny baby in his arms. He was asleep, his nose was twitching, and his hair was changing colour every few minutes. There was so much pain all around, but this life, this new innocent life was the ray of hope amongst it all.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When it was all over, Neville grabbed a moment alone with Lilly in the grounds.</p><p> </p><p>“You okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly shrugged and pasted on a smile, “Okay is a relative term. I’m alive but…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I know,” Neville said honestly, “I’m happy that it’s over, sad for all that we lost, and I just feel like…what do we do now?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to leave,” Lilly admitted, “I’ve helped heal the survivors and make the school watertight. That’s the dead buried now, so it feels like the right time to move on.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, he agreed, but he had nowhere to move on to.</p><p> </p><p>“So I’m going to go to Japan,” Lilly said. She leant against the giant oak tree as a shower rained down on them, “I’ll go home and tell Mum I’m okay first, I know she’ll be worried sick. Then I’ll pack up and spend some time with my Dads.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville looked at her in surprise, “Forever?”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly laughed, “No, Nev, just for a few months. It’s just…I saw things, things I can’t stop seeing when I shut my eyes at night. Do you know what I mean?”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, a dark look passing through his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“So I need to get away from here for a while,” Lilly finished, “And a change of scenery would be nice right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“I understand that,” Neville said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>“You could…” Lilly frowned and stopped herself; it was a stupid suggestion, really.</p><p> </p><p>“I could what?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>Lilly sighed and put herself out there, “You could come with me if you want.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s calm expression flickered, “I…uh…no Lilly, I can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly swallowed and averted her gaze. So they really were just friends then.</p><p> </p><p>“I have my gran,” Neville continued, “And I want to rebuild the school. I can’t just run away from it all.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilly looked at him irritably.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t mean it like that,” Neville said quickly, he hit himself in the head, “I…I just…I’m a mess right now Lilly, a real mess and I need to sort myself out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t do anything stupid,” Lilly said sternly.</p><p> </p><p>“I won’t,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>She walked forward and hugged him, and he squeezed her tightly.</p><p> </p><p>“See you around, maybe?” Lilly said as she walked away.</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded, “Yeah, see you around,” he sighed, turning back to the wreck of a castle that needed to be repaired.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE PARKINSON ESTATE, KENT ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The day of Pansy’s funeral was the worst day of Draco’s life. He would rather have been hit with ten cruciatus curses in a row than feel the pain he felt that day.</p><p> </p><p>He was in such a haze of pain that he barely even noticed Theo, Daphne, Sadie, Tracey and Blaise in the crowd. Draco sat with his mother while he listened to Pansy’s father praise her intelligence and wit. He had been asked to speak, but he couldn’t. He had apologised to Pansy’s parents, but the loss was just too raw, he couldn’t talk about it.</p><p> </p><p>Draco tried to hold it in, to keep his emotions hidden as he stood there in his best black dress robes. But he looked at that coffin, and all he could think about was what he had lost, about what should have been. He had pictured a better world, a world free of Voldemort and his hatred. But he had pictured that world with Pansy. They had a house, somewhere that wasn’t Malfoy Manor, somewhere safe.</p><p> </p><p>In his image, they sat in the garden while a little blond-haired boy ran around, smiling and laughing. That had been the hope that had kept him clinging on to his humanity, and now, it was gone, <em>they were gone</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Draco blinked his tears away and stepped forward to help carry the coffin out into the graveyard. He stared straight ahead as he walked, he tried to drown out the awful sobs of Pansy’s mother. In front of him, he saw her father's shoulders shake as he struggled to conceal his grief.</p><p> </p><p>They lowered her into the ground, and Draco couldn’t hold his tears back any longer. The grave was filled in, and Hyacinth dropped to her knees in front of Pansy’s gravestone. She sobbed, and Draco’s heart wrenched. He stepped forward and knelt in front of the grave with her.</p><p> </p><p>Draco put an arm around her while she cried, and he cried silently along with her as he looked at the gravestone. That was all that was left of her, a cold, unmoving piece of stone.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>In Loving Memory Of</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Pansy Parkinson</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Loving daughter of Hyacinth and Oberon</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A Dearly Loved Friend</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Died May 1st 1998</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In life she was loved and in death she shall be lamented.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Hyacinth got to her feet and joined her husband at the gates of the graveyard. But Draco stayed where he was despite the shower that had just begun.</p><p> </p><p>Knowing that he was alone in the graveyard, Draco cried more in that moment than he had ever cried in his life. His tears mingled with the rain that poured down from the sky, his robes were soaked through and his knees were muddy.</p><p> </p><p>“We had it all planned out baby,” Draco whispered. He rested his head against the gravestone, “Survive that bloody war and get married.”</p><p> </p><p>He could tell someone was behind him, but he didn’t move from the grave.</p><p> </p><p>“Raise our baby together,” Draco choked out, “You weren’t supposed to die Pans… and not hours before the end, either.”</p><p> </p><p>He let his head drop into his hands as the person behind him approached, “You weren’t supposed to die.”</p><p> </p><p>He felt a hand on his shoulder, “You weren’t supposed to die!”</p><p> </p><p>He was pulled to his feet and into a tight embrace.</p><p> </p><p>“She wasn’t supposed to die,” Draco sobbed onto Theo’s shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Theo murmured. He cast a drying charm on them both and cleaned up Draco’s robes with a quick, “Scourgify.”</p><p> </p><p>He put his arm around his friend and guided him out of the graveyard. They walked along the narrow country lane towards Parkinson House, and Theo said, “I’m sorry, you know? I’m so sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco didn’t say anything.</p><p> </p><p>“You lost so much that night,” Theo continued quietly, “And I can’t imagine how hard that must be after all you did to protect her but...”</p><p> </p><p>Theo dropped his hand from Draco’s back, “You chose her, over us. You chose her over me, and she was having your baby, so I understand that, I really do but I just can’t…”</p><p> </p><p>“Forgive it,” Draco said hoarsely.</p><p> </p><p>“Not yet,” Theo said as the grand house came into view, “I love you, Draco. You are my family, and you always will be, but you betrayed my trust and our friendship, and I just need some time to come to terms with that.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded, “I get it.”</p><p> </p><p>They fell silent as the gates to the house swung open.</p><p> </p><p>“And I’m sorry,” Draco added, “For abandoning you, all of you. I just wanted her to be safe, and I did…I did horrible things to ensure that, Theo,” tears slid down his cheeks, “Horrible things.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo averted his gaze and looked up at the house.</p><p> </p><p>“And it was all for nothing,” Draco finished, his voice cracking.</p><p> </p><p>“It wasn’t for nothing,” Theo said. They reached the doors and stopped.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked up at his friend.</p><p> </p><p>“It was for love,” Theo said, his voice breaking, “And it is far better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco pulled Theo into a hug, “I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you are,” Theo promised. He stepped into the entrance hall, “But sometimes sorry isn’t enough.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed heavily and handed Tracey a glass of wine. The dark-haired girl took it, and they sat down in the drawing-room of Parkinson House together.</p><p> </p><p>“What now?” Daphne murmured.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t speak for you, but I need to get away,” Tracey answered. With her free hand, she grabbed Daphne’s, “I’m going to visit my aunt in Swansea. Then I think I’ll travel around Europe and see some of the things I’ve always said I would.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled weakly, “Sounds great, Trace.”</p><p> </p><p>“Come with me,” Tracey said, although she already knew the answer.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shook her head, “I can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“I knew you were going to say that,” Tracey admitted.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled sadly, “I have Astoria to look after. She’s struggling with everything that happened during the war, and you know that my mother is volatile. I can’t leave them alone together all summer.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Tracey said. She followed Daphne’s line of sight, “But you’re not just staying for Astoria.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne’s eyes were on Draco as he sat by himself. He had a half-drunk glass of firewhiskey in his hand, and he was staring blankly ahead. He drew himself out of his train of thought and knocked it back in one, placing the glass down on the table and letting his head drop into his hands.</p><p> </p><p>“I need to stay for him too,” Daphne said honestly, “He needs me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t take him back,” Tracey said firmly, “I know he was ultimately good, but the things he did for Pansy’s safety…”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shook her head, “He did it for love, which you could argue was noble of him. But I won’t take him back; I can’t. I saw the way he loved her, the way he looked at her and held her. It was never like that with him and me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you staying then?” Tracey asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Because I’m terrified of what he might do to himself if I don’t,” Daphne replied honestly.</p><p> </p><p>Tracey smiled at her, “You’re a good friend. I’ll miss you when I’m travelling.”</p><p> </p><p>“Bring me something nice back from Paris,” Daphne said, kissing her best friend on the cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Tracey said. She kissed Daphne on both cheeks then pulled her in for a hug, “You were amazing in the battle, and I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne held her tightly, “I love you too, but I don’t like it when you get all sentimental on me. Are you planning on coming back?”</p><p> </p><p>“Course I am,” Tracey said, her eyes flicking towards Theo and Sadie, “Can’t miss the big wedding, can I?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne laughed as she looked over. Theo and Sadie were standing at the other side of the drawing-room together. He had his arm around her and was holding her close as she cradled a drink. Every so often, he would murmur something in her ear, and she would smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo needs to tell her he’s in love with her first,” Daphne said, giving Tracey a knowing look, “It could take some time.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh I give it a year,” Tracey said with a grin, “Then we’ll all be marching her down the aisle towards him. After all, you know what I always say?”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s meant for you won’t go by you,” Daphne said in unison with Tracey.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Tracey said as she got to her feet.</p><p> </p><p>“Bon voyage,” Daphne said with a sad smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Au revoir!” Tracey said brightly.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ MALFOY MANOR ~ * </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Malfoy Manor was like a haunted house. Around every corner, Draco saw horrors flash before his eyes. His mother was ill, she cleaned the house day in and day out but still walked around muttering that she could smell the rotting bodies. He knew that he had to do something about it when he found her on her knees in the cellar, her hands were bleeding as she tried to scrub away blood with tears streaming down her cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>“Mother.”</p><p> </p><p>“The blood, Draco,” She whispered, “Nothing will remove it. The blood-”</p><p> </p><p>“There is no blood, Mother,” Draco said, he gripped her hand and murmured a healing spell. Then he pulled her into a hug, “It’s in your mind; look at the floor.”</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa blinked and looked down at the floor. Surely enough, it was clean.</p><p> </p><p>“I…”</p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” Draco said gently. He led her out of the house and set her down on a bench in the garden.</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa’s body shook, and Draco said, “Mother, you need to get away from the manor.”</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa nodded meekly, “Perhaps I should talk to my sister. Bellatrix always stopped Andromeda and I from communicating, but she is no longer an issue.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco took his mothers hand, “I think that might be a good idea,” he said honestly.</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa bowed her head, and they said no more. They just enjoyed the cool breeze and the scent of flowers and freshness that the wind carried up from the lake.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Hogwarts was restored by mid-May. There were finishing touches required, but all of the structural damage that had needed to be fixed was. There were some areas that McGonagall had just shut off for one reason or another. The central tower was one of those. It had collapsed during the final battle with students and Aurors inside. Ten of the fallen fifty had died in the crush, so McGonagall did not feel that it was right to restore it.</p><p> </p><p>“I need to go home,” Neville said.</p><p> </p><p>Harry was sitting on a bed in the Gryffindor dorm, “Yeah, me too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is it wrong that I don’t want to?” Neville asked him.</p><p> </p><p>Harry shook his head, “No, because I’m avoiding it too. Home for me is either Grimmauld Place which is dark and depressing or the Burrow and…”</p><p> </p><p>Neville nodded his understanding, “You would need to face Ginny.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“Is Hermione there?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>Harry shook his head, “No, she went to find her parents. She erased their memories before we left so that she could keep them safe. They were in Australia, she restored their memories, and now she’s spending some time with them.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville sighed, “It’s just my gran; that’s all I have to go home to.”</p><p> </p><p>“I need to face Ginny,” Harry admitted, “We haven’t really talked since Fred died.”</p><p> </p><p>“But facing her means some harsh truths have to come out,” Neville realised.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Harry agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you can’t avoid them forever,” Neville said. He got to his feet and began to pack his trunk, “You’re going to have to face it sooner or later.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Harry sighed. He began to pack his bag, “Yeah, Nev, you’re right.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. I Am So Much Older Than I Can Take</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ GREENGRASS HOUSE ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>When the doorbell rang in the middle of the night, Daphne was wary. She sat up in bed, and it rang again. It was a stormy evening, and the wind was howling outside. Why someone would be at the door, she did not know.</p><p> </p><p>She grabbed a green silken dressing gown and threw it on. She knew the elves would get the door, but she was curious.</p><p> </p><p>At that point, one of her elves materialised in front of her.</p><p> </p><p>“Corky! You frightened me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Corky is sorry, Miss Daphne, but there is being a man at the door for you. He is being very upset.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne knew who it was. She sighed and nodded, “I’ll be right down,” she promised.</p><p> </p><p>She slipped her feet into a pair of ballerina pump slippers and padded down the marble staircase. When she reached the entrance hall, she saw him, and he looked awful.</p><p> </p><p>He was standing on the porch, soaked to the skin with tears dripping down his cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” She sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Draco said, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath.</p><p> </p><p>“I left you, I betrayed you,” Draco said, “And I did it all for Pansy, but she died, and now I have nothing.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne cast a drying charm on him and shut the door, “Come on, you’re drunk.”</p><p> </p><p>She dragged him into her bedroom and shut the door. When she looked at him in the light, she realised how bad he looked. His hair was an unkempt mess, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had such dark bags under his eyes like he hadn’t slept properly for weeks. He was a broken man.</p><p> </p><p>“I know you loved her,” Daphne said, she sat down on the edge of the bed with him and took his hands, “But you can’t let the loss consume you.”</p><p> </p><p>She brought her hand up against his face, and he shut his eyes at her touch.</p><p> </p><p>“Look at you,” Daphne said, “Look at what you are becoming.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco opened his eyes and met hers, then he leant forward and kissed her. Daphne should have seen it coming really; he was drunk and emotionally volatile.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne pulled back and shook her head, “No,” she said firmly, “I know you’re upset, but I am not going to sleep with you because your girlfriend died. I’m not your rebound, and I’m not a sympathy shag!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco burst into tears at her words, and it shocked Daphne because he was usually so good at concealing his emotions. She placed a hand on his back as he cried, “I lost everything, Daphne. I lost my father, and my mother is a mess. I lost Pansy, and I lost that baby, and I can’t cope with all of the pain! I just want it all to stop, but nothing makes it go away! I just want a potion to take it all away, all the pain, all the anger, I want it to go away!”</p><p> </p><p>He was angry, but he was crying.</p><p> </p><p>“No, you don’t,” Daphne murmured against his neck as she hugged him tightly, “Because pain makes you human. Feeling this remorse is what makes you different from your father and different from Voldemort.”</p><p> </p><p>She drew back and looked him in the eye, “You have gone through so much, but that wasn’t the hard part, <em>this </em>is the hard part. This is the part where you overcome it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think I can,” Draco whispered tearfully.</p><p> </p><p>“You have to,” Daphne said firmly, “And trust me, I know it’s hard. You feel so much pain, and you feel so angry, so sad. You don’t know how you will ever feel happy again but you <em>will </em>Draco, and you will be so much stronger for it.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco sniffed, and another uncontrollable sob escaped him.</p><p> </p><p>“I was so scared of that baby,” Draco said, so quietly that she almost didn’t hear him, “And I never realised how much I wanted it until it was gone.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Daphne murmured.</p><p> </p><p>“That baby and Pansy, they were it, they were my last shot at happiness,” Draco said bitterly, “My only chance at a normal, happy life.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your only chance of redemption?” Daphne finished.</p><p> </p><p>Draco could only nod.</p><p> </p><p>“No, that’s not true,” Daphne said, she grabbed his wrist and forced him to look at her, “You loved her, and you lost her, and it hurts, it hurts so much babe. I know you think it feels like the worst thing right now. But life will go on, and you will fall in love again. You will never forget Pansy, but that’s a good thing because that’s how we remember those we love. But you are a good person Draco; you are kind, you are loving, you are smart and funny. Someone will fall in love with you, and you might just be able to love them back.”</p><p> </p><p>“You think so?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know so,” Daphne assured him, “Maybe it will happen next week or next year. But it <em>will</em> happen.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded and opened his mouth to thank her, but he suddenly looked slightly green.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne rolled her eyes and conjured up a bucket just in time. She put her hand on his back as he threw up into the bucket. It was massively unpleasant considering that it was virtually all firewhiskey and stomach acid. She shrivelled up her nose when he missed the bucket slightly and got it on the very expensive, very white carpet in her bedroom.</p><p> </p><p>When he was done, he said, “I’m sorry, Daphne. I’m so sorry,” then he passed out.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne sighed and vanished away the evidence. Then she cleaned the carpet, lay him down in her bed, stripped him down to his boxers and pulled the duvet over him.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne left Draco asleep and slipped out of her bedroom into the bathroom. It was a ‘Jack and Jill’ bathroom, and it connected her and Astoria’s bedrooms. She frowned when she realised that her sister's room was in darkness, but she knew where she would find her.</p><p> </p><p>She walked out of Astoria’s room into the corridor, then headed upstairs. All that was on the top floor was the tower that stood at the centre of the house. Once upon a time, it had housed a bell, but it had been gone for a long time, Daphne couldn’t remember a time when it was there.</p><p> </p><p>The spiral staircase was narrow, and the steps were wooden and uncarpeted. There was no point in making it look pretty because the room at the top of the house was forgotten about by most, only Daphne and Astoria went up there.</p><p> </p><p>At the top of the staircase, Daphne emerged into a small square room with four narrow windows and a roof light where the bell had once hung. There was a blanket box against one wall, and it had been thrown open. Astoria was lying on one of the giant beanbags that they kept up there, looking up at the stars through the roof light.</p><p> </p><p>“You okay, Tori?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine,” Astoria said softly, “Just can’t sleep. How about you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t sleep either,” Daphne said, she pulled the other beanbag over and grabbed a blanket then she lay down next to her sister, “Why can’t you sleep?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nightmares,” Astoria answered quietly, “The people falling when that wall collapsed and the screaming. The…the <em>fires</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Of course, the fires had hit home. They were both afraid of fire; how could they not be? Their father had set fire to the house, to <em>this </em>house with them in it. That sort of thing left a mark on a person, and it was why both of the girls loved this room above all others. It was at the top of the house, and after the fire, it had been fitted with a retractable ladder. It was their safe haven, in more ways than one.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne rolled onto her side and hugged her sister, “I have them too. In my head, I see Pansy die over and over again.”</p><p> </p><p>“You two argued at the end,” Astoria said, “Does that make it harder?”</p><p> </p><p>“Much harder,” Daphne admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you ever going to tell Draco the truth?” Astoria asked.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shook her head, “No. How can I? He lost the girl he loved and the baby she was carrying. What good would it do to tell him that she slept with Theo? It would just hurt him, and he doesn’t need any more pain in his life right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a wise outlook.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shrugged, “Some secrets are better left buried,” she frowned, “Sometimes the secret just dies with the person, and that’s okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Astoria wrapped her arms around her sister, “What brings you up here? You haven’t been here since you came home.”</p><p> </p><p>“I came here to look for you,” Daphne said honestly, “I tried your bedroom first. I wanted to tell you that you might be better using the bathroom across the hall because if you walk into ours in the morning, you might see more of Draco than you ever bargained for.”</p><p> </p><p>Astoria frowned, “Draco is here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Daphne sighed, “He showed up, soaked to the skin and stinking of alcohol. Then he tried to kiss me-”</p><p> </p><p>Astoria’s eyes widened.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry, I told him where he could go if he tried it on,” Daphne assured her sister, “He had a breakdown about Pansy. I’ve never seen him cry like that before. He’s a broken mess Astoria.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re all a little broken,” Astoria said quietly, “That was why Mother went to France.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad Mother went to France,” Daphne admitted, “I feel like we can breathe a little easier when she’s not here.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not her fault that Father died.”</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t matter,” Daphne sighed, “He’s dead, and nobody is really that cut up about it, are they? Like I said, some things are better buried.”</p><p> </p><p>Astoria didn’t say anything, but Daphne knew that her sister felt the same way about their father that she did.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When Draco woke up the following morning, he felt very ill. He groaned and rolled onto his back.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not surprised you feel sick,” Daphne said, opening one eye to look at him, “How much did you drink last night?”</p><p> </p><p>“A whole bottle,” Draco admitted as his head began to pound.</p><p> </p><p>“How much of it do you remember?” Daphne asked, propping herself up on her elbow.</p><p> </p><p>“All of it, unfortunately,” Draco admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be embarrassed,” Daphne said, “You’re one of my best friends, and you suffered a huge loss. It doesn’t make you any less of a man because you cried about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“It makes me feel like an idiot though,” Draco muttered as he covered his eyes with his hand.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you going to do now then?” Daphne asked as she got to her feet and stretched.</p><p> </p><p>Draco peered through his hand at her, “Can I stay?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne turned to look at him, “Do you promise not to try and kiss me again?”</p><p> </p><p>“I promise,” Draco said, “I’m sorry about that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good,” Daphne quipped, “You can stay. My mother is in France and probably will be for the next little while, so Astoria and I have the house to ourselves, but there are conditions.”</p><p> </p><p>“Which are?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t lie in bed all day, you have to get up and be productive,” Daphne said firmly, “I have plenty of jobs in the garden that you can help with.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco smiled at her, “I’ll earn my keep, I promise.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not done yet,” Daphne said as she strode into her walk-in wardrobe, “No loud parties, no drowning your sorrows in alcohol and-” she emerged fully dressed, “-and you can sleep in here, but if you start snuggling me or I wake up with a hard-on against my back, you’re going in the guest room.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco actually laughed at that. It was his first genuine laugh since the final battle.</p><p> </p><p>“Deal,” Draco said with a slight smile.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled back at him, “I’m going to make breakfast. Get up, throw up, have a shower and shave. You look like a homeless Muggle.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco nodded and sat up shakily, “Thanks, Daph, I don’t deserve a friend like you.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, you don’t,” Daphne said, she smiled at him from the doorway, “But you’ve got one.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ NOTT MANOR ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Theo was starting to wonder if he should get a job because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could handle hiding from his stepmother.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo!”</p><p> </p><p>“Shh!” Theo hushed.</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you sleeping in the summerhouse?” His little sister asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Because I’m hiding from your Mum,” Theo said with a roll of his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Isn’t she your Mum too?” Lacey asked. She climbed through the window.</p><p> </p><p>“No, my Mum died,” Theo told her, “When I was little, even more little than you are now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Lacey frowned, “Sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay,” Theo said, “Want to pretend like we’re in the jungle?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I don’t like the adventure game anymore,” Lacey said with a shrug, “I want to play Aurors and Death Eaters!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo frowned, “I’ve kind of had enough of that game, Lace.”</p><p> </p><p>Lacey jumped onto his knee, “Mum says, you fought really bravely.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked up, “Did she say that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh-huh,” Lacey chirped, “You should be the Auror in the game, and you can kill all the Death Eaters like this,” she picked up a stick, “Whoosh! Bang!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo smiled and hugged her, “You’re sweet, you know that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatcha gonna do now Theo?” Lacey asked him, “You don’t have school anymore, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Theo shook his head.</p><p> </p><p>“You should be an Auror!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo laughed, “No chance baby, they wouldn’t let me in.”</p><p> </p><p>“But your brave!”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s more to being an Auror than being brave,” Theo told her, “And some people…they do bad things and those things…well, they can’t ever forget those things.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like Dad?” Lacey asked quietly, “Dad did bad things.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, he did,” Theo said.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s why he’s gone, isn’t it?” Lacey asked.</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded, “Do you miss him?”</p><p> </p><p>Lacey shook her head, “He scared me. I didn’t like it when he told you off. You used to shout and fight all the time, and I just wanted it to stop.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, it has stopped now,” Theo said softly.</p><p> </p><p>“And you don’t even fight with Mum much anymore,” Lacey added, “Are you friends yet?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not quite yet.”</p><p> </p><p>“She loves you,” Lacey said wisely. It was a comment well beyond her five years.</p><p> </p><p>“Does she?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep,” Lacey said, “She just told the pretty girl in the house. She said you were brave and she said she needs to tell you that she loves you more.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked up in surprise, “What pretty girl?”</p><p> </p><p>“The pretty girl,” Lacey shrugged, “She has yellow hair.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie?” Theo asked eagerly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah!”</p><p> </p><p>“Lace, you little pest!” Theo said, he jumped to his feet, “Why didn’t you tell me that Sadie was here?”</p><p> </p><p>“I forgot,” Lacey said. She ran after Theo across the sunlit grounds, “Is she your girlfriend?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not yet!” Theo called as he reached the backdoor. He turned and grinned, “But she will be one day.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo stepped into the house in shorts and an old Weird Sisters tank top. He slipped through the dining room into the sunroom and grinned, “Sadie!”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie smiled weakly, “Hey, Theo.”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong?” Theo asked, her face was tearstained.</p><p> </p><p>“I uh…I just got the news,” Sadie said, she frowned down into her cup of tea, “My father’s trial was not successful, and he was sent to Azkaban.”</p><p> </p><p>“But he was coerced!” Theo exclaimed.</p><p> </p><p>Salvadora, Theo’s stepmother, took Sadie’s hand and said, “They took that into account but deemed his crimes were such that he had to suffer.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked outraged, “How did they come to that conclusion, exactly?”</p><p> </p><p>“He was not under the imperius curse,” Salvadora said simply, “He was coerced into joining, but he did it of his own free will, and he created a horrific weapon for the Death Eaters after he joined them.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo sat down next to Sadie and put his arm around her, “What did he do, Sade?”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie buried her head in his chest, “The central tower, it collapsed and killed ten people.”</p><p> </p><p>“I remember,” Theo said. He didn’t remember the tower collapsing because he had been fighting in the grounds with Neville. However, he and Tracey had helped retrieve the bodies, and he remembered the pool of blood at the bottom of the staircase. They had been crushed, and it had just kept trickling down.</p><p> </p><p>He swallowed and shook away the memory.</p><p> </p><p>“It was caused by a modified decoy detonator,” Sadie said, her voice was muffled, “And he invented it for them.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh Salazar,” Theo breathed, he held Sadie tightly and caught Salvadora’s eye.</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head, “Nothing could have reduced his sentence,” she whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“How long?” He mouthed.</p><p> </p><p>Salvadora held up ten fingers, and Theo shut his eyes, holding Sadie tightly as she cried in his arms.</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t look good for Draco,” Salvadora said.</p><p> </p><p>Theo frowned at her, “Draco?”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you miss this morning’s Prophet while you were avoiding me?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.</p><p> </p><p>“I did, yes,” Theo admitted.</p><p> </p><p>Salvadora slid it across the table. Theo looked down as he placed a kiss on the top of Sadie’s head.</p><p>
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    <em>“THE MALFOY FAMILY: FALLEN FROM GRACE”</em>
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</p><p>The headline read.</p><p> </p><p>“The trial is next week,” Salvadora said quietly, “And the evidence suggests that the Ministry is coming down on those involved far harder than they did the last time so you must not let anyone see that mark on your arm.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo swallowed and nodded, “What will happen to Draco?”</p><p> </p><p>“If he is lucky, he will be in Azkaban for five years or less,” Salvadora said.</p><p> </p><p>Theo sighed, “Come on, Sadie, let’s sit in the garden.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded. Theo took her hand and led her outside. He sat down in the long grass by the lake and pulled her down next to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think your stepmother is right about Draco?”</p><p> </p><p>“My stepmother is usually right when it comes to politics,” Theo admitted, “And I can’t say that I didn’t expect it. Even before he pledged his allegiance for Pansy, he had tried to kill Dumbledore.”</p><p> </p><p>“He doesn’t deserve it though, Theo,” Sadie said weakly, “He did so much to help the light, and he’s lost so much already.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know he has, Sade,” Theo said, he put his arm around her again, “But he made his bed when he abandoned us for the Death Eaters.”</p><p> </p><p>“To save Pansy,” Sadie added.</p><p> </p><p>Theo sighed, “I’m not ready to make up with him yet.”</p><p> </p><p>“You had better hope you are ready before he goes to Azkaban then,” Sadie said darkly, “Or you may not get a chance to make amends. His state of mind is fragile, and Azkaban can drive the sanest men to suicide.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo sighed and let his head fall into his hands, “I know.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE BURROW ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>Going back to the Burrow had been about as bad as Harry had expected. Everyone was sad, but he couldn’t blame them because he was sad too. The likes of Bill and Charlie tried to keep their spirits up, but it wasn’t easy. George was just lost without his twin, and Molly had spent the last week walking around holding the clock and crying because Fred’s hand had fallen off.</p><p> </p><p>Amongst all of the sadness, Harry had managed to avoid talking to Ginny until one night in June. He was struggling to sleep; he was lucky if he got a couple of hours a night, and he figured that this state of exhaustion was just going to become permanent now.</p><p> </p><p>The only time he could sleep was when he was outside. The fresh air, the bright stars and the sound of owls hooting in the distance seemed to help somehow. For the most part, the others left him alone when he came out to the garden. They figured that he needed space, but they also didn’t know how to get through to him.</p><p> </p><p>But on this particular night, Ginny joined him. She lay down on the blanket next to him silently, and they didn’t talk for a while, not until a shooting star passed overhead.</p><p> </p><p>“Wish upon a shooting star,” Ginny mused.</p><p> </p><p>“I wish nobody had died,” Harry whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“Me too.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry sighed and turned his head to look at her, “I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“For what?” Ginny asked.</p><p> </p><p>“All of it,” Harry replied, “For all of the people who died for me.”</p><p> </p><p>“They died for the cause that they believed in,” Ginny said hotly, “You were just the head of that revolution so don’t you dare blame yourself for their deaths.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry sighed, he did though, and Ginny’s words couldn’t convince him to change his mind.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny rolled onto her side and took his hand, “We saved far more than we lost.”</p><p> </p><p>“But we lost so much,” Harry said, his eyes meeting hers. They were ablaze, as they had been that night when he kissed her in the Gryffindor common room.</p><p> </p><p>They moved towards each other at the same time, their lips connecting seamlessly. Ginny gripped the back of his neck and pulled him closer, and Harry breathed in her familiar scent as he deepened the kiss.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny shuffled closer to him, and he rested his hand on her hip. He wanted this to work; he wanted to get normality back. He wanted Ginny and Quidditch and Hogwarts. But so much had changed and he knew that they couldn’t just go back like that.</p><p> </p><p>When she lowered her hand, he flashed back to that first night in the tent with Hermione. When Ginny gasped against his lips, he remembered the way Hermione had gasped his name. He broke the kiss abruptly; the guilt flooded him.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked hurt.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Harry said. He sat up and pushed himself away from her, “But I can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you can’t, then you can’t,” Ginny said, the hurt turned to anger, “But I think I deserve to know why.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry stared at her, unsure if she would curse him or cry when he told her the truth. He knew that it was more likely that she would curse him; Ginny didn’t tend to cry about relationship woes.</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Harry frowned and averted his gaze, “I slept with someone else.”</p><p> </p><p>Ginny sighed, but it wasn’t an angry or a sad sigh. It was half-hearted and exasperated as if she had expected this, “Lilly was right.”</p><p> </p><p>“Who?”</p><p> </p><p>“My friend,” Ginny replied, “She said this would happen, and the truth is that I slept with someone else too.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Harry admitted.</p><p> </p><p>Ginny looked up in surprise, “How?”</p><p> </p><p>“I suspected because I watched you on the Marauders Map and every time you appeared on it, you were with Neville,” Harry admitted, “Then after the final battle, Neville told me. He feels awful about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I do too,” Ginny admitted, “But Lilly asked me how I would feel if you came back from the war and told me you slept with Hermione, and you did. Didn’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Harry said, letting his head drop into his hands.</p><p> </p><p>“Does Ron know?” Ginny asked. He could hear the pain in her voice, but he couldn’t stand to look at her and see it all over her face too.</p><p> </p><p>“I told him when he came back,” Harry said, “He was upset, but he understood that it was kind of his fault. He left us, and it was the middle of winter. There was no food; there was a giant snake that tried to kill us and she…she’s my best friend. Emotions-”</p><p> </p><p>“Ran high,” Ginny finished, “I get it.”</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t get back together after that though,” Harry said, it was a statement.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Ginny said, “I don’t think we can.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“So am I.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Do you think Harry will ever be okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione looked up. She was standing in the yard feeding the chickens, “I hope so. What makes you ask?”</p><p> </p><p>Ron shrugged, “He just seems…I don’t know…it’s like he's here, but he’s not here.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s depressed,” Hermione said quietly, “Do you blame him?”</p><p> </p><p>Ron shook his head and leant against the chicken coup, “Hermione.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione steeled herself. She and Ron had kissed during the battle, and neither of them had brought it up since. Between the funerals, rebuilding the castle and looking out for Molly, there hadn’t been a chance.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think we can talk about that kiss now?”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione swallowed. She turned to look at Ron, “Ron…you are one of my best friends, and I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron smiled sadly; he knew what was coming.</p><p> </p><p>“I just don’t love you in that way,” Hermione admitted, “I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron shook his head and hastily wiped his eyes, “Don’t be sorry, that’s daft. You can’t be sorry for not loving someone.”</p><p> </p><p>“I am though,” Hermione said, she grabbed his hand, “Because it would be so easy to love you, but that doesn’t mean it’s right.”</p><p> </p><p>“I get it,” Ron said, but he didn’t, not really.</p><p> </p><p>“If you want me to leave-”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Ron said quickly, “You only just got here, stay for a bit longer?”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione nodded, “If you’re sure it’s okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“Course it is,” Ron said, he patted her on the back, “You’re family.”</p><p> </p><p>The moment had become very awkward. All the same, Hermione smiled and hugged him, “Thank you.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
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  <strong>* ~ GREENGRASS HOUSE ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Daphne asked. She straightened Draco’s robes.</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked up and caught her eye, “If they say I’m guilty, I’ll go straight to Azkaban.”</p><p> </p><p>“They won’t say that,” Daphne said, “You were a kid, Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>“Septimus Cauldwell was coerced into what he did, and he’s in Azkaban,” Draco pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“Septimus Cauldwell designed a weapon that killed ten people,” Daphne said with a sigh, “One of them a 13-year-old kid. You killed a very bad Muggle and tortured a couple of good people.”</p><p> </p><p>“And tried to kill Dumbledore.”</p><p> </p><p>“Any jury who looks at your pathetic attempts will know that your heart wasn’t in it,” Daphne said, raising an eyebrow at him.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t laugh, “Thanks,” he muttered sarcastically.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll be fine,” Daphne said, she kissed him on the cheek, “But I’m pissed that Theo hasn’t shown up to show his support. If you do go to Azkaban, he’ll regret that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not helpful,” Draco muttered.</p><p> </p><p>“Not that you will,” Daphne said sheepishly, “I’m so sure that you’ll be fine that I won’t even say goodbye. Instead, I’ll say, see you later.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco smiled weakly, “I’m less optimistic so, goodbye.”</p><p> </p><p>She rolled her eyes as he walked out of the front door.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Astoria asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I hope so,” Daphne said honestly.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC ~ *</strong>
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</p><p>Draco was sure that he would go to Azkaban when he walked into the courtroom for his and his mother’s joint trial. It dragged on, and it was a horrible thing. He had to re-live everything that he wanted to forget, and his mother did too.</p><p> </p><p>Narcissa was given her verdict first, and since the Legilimency Test that they had performed on her had shown multiple uses of the Imperius Curse, Obliviation and the False Memory charm, she had been acquitted of all crimes.</p><p> </p><p>Draco, on the other hand, was not so lucky. They debated his verdict for longer, and it was called to a recess. During that time, Draco sat with his head in his hands, unaware of the fact that the break had been called because Harry Potter had submitted a statement to the Ministry.</p><p> </p><p>When the trial recommenced, Kingsley announced, “We decree that Draco Abraxas Malfoy is acquitted of all charges committed while he was under seventeen years of age. He was a juvenile in this time, and the evidence supports the fact that he was coerced into these crimes. A source who wishes to remain anonymous has vouched for both Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, and due to this we declare him acquitted of all charges.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco breathed a sigh of relief and hugged his mother tightly. When they left the courtroom, with nothing more than a hefty fine, he didn’t notice the flash of black hair as Harry disappeared into a lift.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ * </strong>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. These Changes Ain't Changing Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <strong>* ~ GREENGRASS HOUSE ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Didn’t I tell you it would be fine?” Daphne asked with a grin when Draco walked back into the entrance hall.</p><p> </p><p>He smiled at her, “Thanks.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome,” She said brightly, “And I have a present for you.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne turned her head in the direction of the library, “You can come out now!”</p><p> </p><p>Theo walked out, and he looked incredibly sheepish, “I’m sorry it took me so long to snap out of it. I wanted to come before the trial, but you were gone when I got here and I just…”</p><p> </p><p>Draco watched his best friend with interest as Theo stumbled over his words.</p><p> </p><p>“He cried, Draco,” Daphne said calmly, “He cried his poor little heart out because he was terrified you would go to Azkaban and he wouldn’t have had a chance to make things right.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco smiled weakly, “Well, I’m not in Azkaban.”</p><p> </p><p>“And I’m sorry for being an idiot,” Theo said, hugging Draco tightly when he reached him.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry for pushing you away,” Draco said, releasing his friend from the hug, “And abandoning you all.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo shook his head, “Let’s just put it in the past. We lost enough, didn’t we? I don’t want to lose you too.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t want to lose you either, Theo,” Draco said, a little tearfully.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne rolled her eyes, “Do you two want a cup of coffee or are you going upstairs to have a shag?”</p><p> </p><p>Astoria snorted from the library. She could hear their conversation in the hall as clear as day.</p><p> </p><p>“Coffee sounds great,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded and put his arm around Draco, “Yeah, we’re never gonna shag. That kiss was bad enough.”</p><p> </p><p>“I am not that bad a kisser!” Draco objected.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne grinned as she led them into the kitchen, “Oh I don’t know, you are a bit of a wet kisser!” she joked as she set the kettle on the stove to boil.</p><p> </p><p>“And way too fond of tongue.”</p><p> </p><p>“I did not put my tongue anywhere near you!” Draco exclaimed as Daphne burst out laughing.</p><p> </p><p>Theo grinned and picked Draco up, “Oh, it’s good to have you back, mate!”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smiled at the two men as she leant against the kitchen counter, “It’s good to have you back together,” she said fondly.</p><p> </p><p>“Watch it you, we’re not having a three-way!” Theo teased, “I’m not the Rabastan to your Bellatrix like in your nightmare world.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne scoffed, “He told you about that then?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Draco said sheepishly.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shook her head in amusement.</p><p> </p><p>“How come you’re Rabastan? Why do I have to be Rodolphus?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Because you’re the passibly attractive normal one who will marry her, and I’m the hot, evil one who will sweep her off her feet,” Theo said with a grin.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne snorted, “That’s wishful thinking from both of you,” she joked.</p><p> </p><p>Draco chuckled and looked at his best friend, “Daphne and I won’t get back together for a start, there’s too much history there. But even if we did, I would not allow you to be any part of our relationship.”</p><p> </p><p>“You wouldn’t be in charge, the ice princess would,” Theo joked.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne laughed and pushed herself onto the kitchen counter. She crossed her legs and surveyed them, “Okay firstly, there will be no three-way and no relationships with any Slytherins. I’m done with Slytherins for life.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco and Theo shared an amused look.</p><p> </p><p>“And secondly, I am not the ice princess,” Daphne said, smirking at them, “I’m the ice <em>queen</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo grinned, “It’s nice to have you back.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s good to be back!” Daphne said, grinning as she jumped down from the counter to make the coffee.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The summer passed by like any other until one morning in early July.</p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” Daphne groaned, she shuffled in her bed and yanked the covers off of him, “Draco!”</p><p> </p><p>“You shoved your arse against me, what do you expect?” He mumbled sleepily.</p><p> </p><p>“I said no hard-ons!” Daphne grumbled.</p><p> </p><p>Draco got to his feet and stretched, with no shame considering he was wearing nothing but his boxers. Then he walked into the bathroom to a loud shriek of, “DRACO! I’m in the shower!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco stepped out of the bathroom and looked at Daphne in horror, “She’s naked. I just saw your baby sister naked.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne rolled her eyes, “People tend to be naked in the shower. Are you ever going to go home?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco lay back down on her bed, “I suppose I’ll have to at some point,” he admitted.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne snorted and got to her feet, “I need coffee.”</p><p> </p><p>“I need sex,” Draco complained.</p><p> </p><p>“No sympathy sex, it was one of the deals of you moving in,” Daphne said, she stepped into the wardrobe, “And it won’t make anything better either. You’ll just end up crying and thinking about Pansy.”</p><p> </p><p>“True,” Draco admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Get dressed,” Daphne said, throwing some clothes at him, “You need to finish painting the summer house.”</p><p> </p><p>“I need a holiday to recover from this summer,” He joked, but he got dressed anyway.</p><p> </p><p>They ended up in the kitchen, making breakfast together, which had become a pretty day to day experience. Daphne put the coffee on, Corky cooked breakfast, and Draco buttered the toast.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you know, if it wasn’t for the fact we had sex for a year, I’d think you were gay,” Daphne mused as she leant against the kitchen counter and sipped her coffee.</p><p> </p><p>Draco raised an eyebrow at her, “Elaborate.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re good at being domestic,” Daphne said with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m good husband material,” Draco joked.</p><p> </p><p>“Not happening!” Daphne called from the pantry.</p><p> </p><p>“There is still a marriage contract between us, you know?” Draco called after her, “And what is a Queen without her King?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne emerged and smirked at him, “Well, historically? Better.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where is the evidence?”</p><p> </p><p>“Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I and Mary I of England,” Daphne rattled off.</p><p> </p><p>“Fair point,” Draco admitted, “What about Romeo and Juliet then?”</p><p> </p><p>“What about it, exactly?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, what’s Juliet without her Romeo?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Alive!” Daphne exclaimed in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>Draco shook his head, “This is why I didn’t do ‘romantic’ when we were together. I try romantic, and you do sassy.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s good that we broke up then,” Daphne said matter of factly, “Try that sappy shit on your next girlfriend and it might just work, as long as your next girlfriend isn’t Hermione Granger.”</p><p> </p><p>“As if,” Draco scoffed, “And you can’t avoid the marriage contract forever, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne shot him an amused look, “There’s a marriage contract between a Greengrass and a Malfoy. Did you like what you saw of my sister in the shower earlier?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco made a face, “She’s a baby!”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s a year younger than us!”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s your sister!” Draco exclaimed, “I can’t marry your sister!”</p><p> </p><p>At that point, Astoria walked in, and Draco smiled sheepishly at her, “Good morning Astoria.”</p><p> </p><p>Astoria shot him an irritated look, “Good morning, Draco.”</p><p> </p><p>“Astoria, do you want to marry Draco?” Daphne asked calmly.</p><p> </p><p>“Not particularly,” Astoria returned.</p><p> </p><p>Draco rolled his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry sweetie, you’ll just have to lose your family seat on the Wizengamot and your fortune and-”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care about losing anything related to the name Malfoy,” Draco interjected, “But do you know what I do care about?”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne smirked at him.</p><p> </p><p>“You calling me sweetie.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, sweetie.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hate you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Go home then!” Daphne exclaimed in jest as she opened the window so that the post could come in.</p><p> </p><p>Astoria poured herself a cup of coffee and smiled in amusement, “Is Mother planning on coming home before I go back to school, Daphne?”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s with Phineas, so probably not,” Daphne said distastefully.</p><p> </p><p>Phineas was their uncle, who happened to be far too close to their mother.</p><p> </p><p>“Hogwarts letter for you, Tori,” Daphne said, handing her sister the familiar letter.</p><p> </p><p>She frowned down at the last two letters.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s up?” Draco asked nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“We have them too,” Daphne said.</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned and looked down at the letter.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Draco Malfoy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Daphne Greengrass’s Bedroom</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Greengrass House</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Surrey.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Hogwarts letters?” He asked as he opened it.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne was already scanning hers, “They want us to go back…”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Dear Miss Greengrass,</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>In light of recent events, we would like to welcome all seventh-year pupils from the 1997 school year back to Hogwarts on the 1<sup>st</sup> of September, so that they may re-sit their final year and achieve the qualifications that they desire. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>This is not compulsory, and students who choose to return will be known as eighth-year students. Due to lack of space in the house common rooms and dormitories, a common room for returning students has been created in the Eastern Tower. This common room will be shared amongst the year group; it is intended that students from all four houses will coincide there peacefully.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>This school year will run like any other, except for certain classes which may have to be shared with the current seventh-year students to avoid further demands on the time and resources of the staff.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>As I stated above, this is not compulsory. Students can sit their N.E.W.T level examinations at the Ministry of Magic if they feel capable of doing so despite the extreme disruption to their education during the 1997-98 school year. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I advise those who wish to work within certain professions to return to school for their final year. This pertains to students who wish to work within the high ranking sectors of the Ministry of Magic (for example, any posts within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, inclusive of the Auror Department), those who wish to train as Healers and those who wish to go on and teach after graduating from Hogwarts. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I would appreciate it greatly if you would respond to this letter within two weeks of receiving it. With your response, please include the classes that you wish to take. You are entitled to drop only one subject and replace it with another. It is not advisable to try and pick up a highly skilful subject when you have missed the first year of teaching. For example, I would advise against picking up the following subjects at seventh-year level if you did not study them at O.W.L level: Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Alchemy and Care of Magical Creatures (unless you can display other relevant extra-curricular activities as proof that you have enough experience to attempt the subject).</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Yours Sincerely,</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Minerva McGonagall</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“What do you think?” Daphne asked, looking up at Draco.</p><p> </p><p>Draco was frowning at his letter, “I can’t go back. It’s a shared common room, and nobody will want me there.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll want you there,” Daphne said, “And so will Theo, and Sadie and Tracey.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco looked down at the letter, “Going back without Pansy would be…it would be difficult and pointless.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why would it be pointless?” Daphne asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she turned the piece of parchment over and began to write a reply.</p><p> </p><p>“I could pass my N.E.W.T’s at the Ministry, easily,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>“So could I,” Daphne admitted, “But wouldn’t it be nice to have a normal end to our education?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Draco replied dryly.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’m going back,” Daphne said firmly, “And I think you should too.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll think about it,” Draco conceded.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ GODRIC’S HOLLOW ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>When Neville got his Hogwarts letter, he wasn’t sure what to do at first. He doubted that Harry, Ron and Hermione would go back but he knew that Luna and Ginny would be there because they had to complete their seventh year.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll have to go back,” Augusta said gruffly.</p><p> </p><p>“Why?” Neville asked her.</p><p> </p><p>“It says you do if you want to be an Auror,” She replied.</p><p> </p><p>Neville frowned, “I’ve never told you I wanted to be an Auror.”</p><p> </p><p>Augusta smiled at him, “You wrote it in that diary your uncle got you in your third year.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville’s cheeks flushed, “You read my diary, Gran?”</p><p> </p><p>Augusta shrugged, “You left it on the table.”</p><p> </p><p>“So you just thought you’d read it?” He asked her with a shake of his head, “Honestly, sometimes I can tell you were a Slytherin.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well I had to find out if you liked the boys somehow, didn’t I?” Augusta quipped bluntly, “You talked about nothing except Harry Potter for two whole summers.”</p><p> </p><p>“You thought I was gay?” Neville asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“Meh,” Augusta grunted, “You were awkward and quiet. Reminded me of Abraxas.”</p><p> </p><p>“Abraxas?” Neville asked slowly, “Abraxas Malfoy?”</p><p> </p><p>Augusta just nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“But you dated Abraxas Malfoy,” Neville said cluelessly.</p><p> </p><p>“I was meant to marry him,” Augusta said with a snort, “I’m glad I ended up marrying Eddie instead. I’d have been one of them trophy wives while he was off gallivanting with Thaddeus Nott.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville choked on his orange juice, “Thaddeus Nott? Theodore Nott’s grandfather?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s the one,” Augusta said, “They lived in each other’s pocket them two. That was when Nott Manor got picked up and moved from Hampshire down to Wiltshire.”</p><p> </p><p>“He moved the whole Manor?”</p><p> </p><p>“He did.”</p><p> </p><p>“And do you actually know if they were together?” Neville asked his grandmother in amusement, “Because I love you, but you do tend to assume things.”</p><p> </p><p>“Watch it, that’s no way to speak to your elders,” Augusta chastised him.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Neville said sheepishly.</p><p> </p><p>“I know just what they were doing because I caught them at it in the Slytherin common room one night after my Head Girl patrol. I came in there in the middle of the night and there they was, Thaddeus was-”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, I don’t want to hear anymore!” Neville said, he got to his feet and grabbed his shoes, “I’m going to see if Lilly’s home from Japan!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ LONDON, THE EAST END ~ * </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Neville apparated into the refuse area behind the council block where Lilly lived and headed up the staircase to the top floor. Then he walked along the balcony until he reached the end flat. He was exhausted by the time he knocked on the door.</p><p> </p><p>A woman with dark red hair answered the door. She smiled when she saw him, “Hey Neville. What brings you up this end of town?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Lynda, how are you getting on?”</p><p> </p><p>Lynda, Lilly’s mother, shrugged, “Just broke up with Jax. He was the latest loser, did you ever meet Jax?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I think you were dating Mick the last time I was over,” Neville replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Micks in the jail now,” Lynda said casually, “You want a cuppa?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, sure,” Neville said. He walked into the flat which hadn’t changed much since he had been there last.</p><p> </p><p>“Lil said you guys wasn’t as close these days,” Lynda said as she put the kettle on.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah we kind of fell out of contact,” Neville admitted, “She was bloody brilliant last year though. You should have seen her. We’re in the middle of a war zone, and she’s just giving out orders and saving kids lives. She saved my life.”</p><p> </p><p>“She told me that,” Lynda said with a smile, “Said she didn’t know what she’d have done if you’d died that night.”</p><p> </p><p>“She said that?”</p><p> </p><p>Lynda nodded, “Loves you to bits does Lil, you’re her best friend.”</p><p> </p><p>“And she’s mine,” Neville said honestly, “But last year, she really impressed me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not surprised she was that good in a warzone,” Lynda said, she put a cup of tea in front of Neville, “It’s like growing up in a warzone, growing up round here. She was that happy when she got her Hogwarts letter, absolutely loved that place.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s kind of why I wanted to talk to her,” Neville admitted, “Is she back yet?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, she’s still in Japan,” Lynda replied, “She’s having a rare time, she tells me every time she calls. Mind you; Neal says she’s having nightmares a lot.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think we all are,” Neville said honestly, “I just wanted to talk to Lilly about school. We all got letters about going back to finish our final year, and I wanted to know if she was going to go back before I replied.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll give her a call,” Lynda said, “I’ll tell her to ring you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ring me?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“On the phone,” Lynda said.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I don’t have a phone,” Neville said, “Could she floo me, through the fireplace?”</p><p> </p><p>“We ain’t got a fireplace,” Lynda laughed, “We live in a council flat.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tell her to write to me then,” Neville said with a smile, “She’ll know what that means.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, I will do.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville sipped his tea, “So what did Mick do then?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I thought you’d never ask!” Lynda gushed, “Wait till you hear the story Neville, it’s a dead good one. There was this skanky girl called Hailey and…”</p><p> </p><p>Neville didn’t care much about the story, but he let Lynda tell it anyway. He liked Lilly’s Mum, and he felt kind of sorry for her too. As weird as it was, he really enjoyed spending an hour drinking tea while she regaled him with the tale of Mick, her psycho ex-boyfriend who had gone to jail for defending her honour, with a samurai sword.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ CAULDWELL HOUSE, NORFOLK ~ *</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Theo stood on the doorstep of Cauldwell House and knocked. It was a beautiful red brick house with white windows and a white picket fence. It wasn’t the largest, and it didn’t come with a vast amount of land, but Theo loved it because it was a home. When he had been there as a kid, it had been filled with laughter and love.</p><p> </p><p>Nott Manor wasn’t like that. It was huge, like Malfoy Manor but it was cold. It didn’t matter how many rooms or how much land a house had if it was filled with hatred. Even now that Theo’s father was gone, his presence lingered everywhere in the manor.</p><p> </p><p>The door opened, and Sorenson narrowed his eyes at him, “What do you want?”</p><p> </p><p>“To talk to Sadie,” Theo said as if this were obvious.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you going to blow my house up?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was 12!” Theo objected, “And I didn’t blow your house up, I just set fire to a tent.”</p><p> </p><p>Sorenson crossed his arms.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I’m not going to blow anything up,” Theo replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorenson, is that Theo at the door?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, it’s just some annoying salesman,” Sorenson said.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s he selling?” Sadie’s voice asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Bullshit,” Sorenson replied.</p><p> </p><p>Inside the house, he heard Sadie laugh, “Let him in, you pain in the arse!”</p><p> </p><p>Sorenson stepped away from the door and said, “I’m watching you.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo edged past him and walked into the lounge, “He’s scary.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s playing with you,” Sadie said with a chuckle, “Did you get a letter too?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah!” Theo said eagerly, “We’ve got to go back, don’t we?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve already sent my reply,” Sadie admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Course you have,” Theo said with a grin, “Ravenclaw in Slytherin colours you are.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I <em>was</em> a hat stall,” Sadie said with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“You seem happier,” Theo noted.</p><p> </p><p>Sadie nodded, “My Mum is still pretty sad. Getting her to come out of her bedroom is difficult, but we’ve got to move on. This is our life for the next ten years so…”</p><p> </p><p>Theo nodded, “I made you sad again by bringing it up, didn’t I?”</p><p> </p><p>“Kind of,” Sadie admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Theo said.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a douchebag, Nott!”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie rolled her eyes and flicked the door shut with her wand, “Go annoy Clara!”</p><p> </p><p>“Douchebag?”</p><p> </p><p>“Some Muggle phrase he picked up in the Auror department,” Sadie chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>“And whose Clara?” Theo asked curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“His new girlfriend,” Sadie replied, “Anyway, are you going back to school too?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I think so,” Theo mused, “Do you reckon Draco will go back?”</p><p> </p><p>“You would know better than me,” Sadie said, “I haven’t seen him since the funeral.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve seen him but not as much as I usually do in the summer,” Theo admitted, “He’s not himself, Daph is doing her best to put him back together again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is she sleeping with him?” Sadie asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, definitely not,” Theo said. He laughed, “I think he’s turning her into a lesbian though. The last time I saw her, she said she preferred sleeping with you in the bathroom cause she didn’t wake up with a dick against her arse every morning.”</p><p> </p><p>At that Sadie burst out laughing and Theo grinned, things were finally starting to feel normal again.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ GODRIC’S HOLLOW ~ * </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>A few days after the Hogwarts letters arrived, Neville received a letter from Lilly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Hey, Neville,</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Mum said you visited and you wanted me to write to you so…Hi! Yeah, I got the letter too, and I’m going to go back. Last year was hectic and scary, but having thought about it for a while, I think I’d like to be a Healer for real.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Are you going to go back?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Love,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Lilly</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>P.S: Did you really listen to the whole story about Mick and the samurai sword? Cause if you did, you’re a saint!”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Neville laughed and jotted a quick reply saying that he would go back. Then he sent McGonagall confirmation of that too. He found himself wondering as his birthday approached, if he would be part of a minority or if more students than he expected would return to school for their final year.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ TBC ~ *</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. I Need Direction to Perfection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>* ~ GREENGRASS HOUSE ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“What’s with the long face?” Daphne asked Draco when she walked into the kitchen one morning, “Hey Corky, would you mind making me some scrambled egg for breakfast?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, Miss Daphne.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed and waved a letter at Daphne, “My aunt is coming to visit.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your aunt?” Daphne frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“Andromeda, the one who was disowned for marrying a Muggle-born,” Draco said offhandedly, “But he died during the war, and her daughter Nymphadora and her husband died in the final battle.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s terrible,” Daphne sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Draco said, “All that she has left is her grandson. I think he’s called Edward or something like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Poor kid,” Daphne said, “His parents both died in the battle? He’s like a next-generation Harry Potter, isn’t he? Orphaned by war.”</p><p> </p><p>“Since when do you feel sorry for Harry Potter?” Draco quipped.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t, it was just a comment,” Daphne said with a wave of her hand, “Why are you so miserable about your aunt visiting anyway? It’s not like you actually live there right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, but that’s the problem,” Draco said, “My mother wants me to go home and spend time with my aunt.”</p><p> </p><p>“I want you to go home too,” Daphne said, “You’ve been living here for two months.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t like Malfoy Manor,” Draco said, resting his chin on his fingertips, “Everywhere I go, I see pain. I was tortured there, and I tortured Luna Lovegood there. My mother was controlled and attacked. Greyback nearly…”</p><p> </p><p>“What did Greyback nearly do to you?” Daphne asked, her eyes searching his.</p><p> </p><p>Draco shrugged, “He was a werewolf and a cruel one at that. He liked to play with his food before he ate it and he didn’t care much about gender. He just liked the pretty ones.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne frowned, “That’s disgusting.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, and it nearly happened to Granger too,” Draco said, “Do you think she’ll go back?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Daphne replied, “She’s smart enough to do her N.E.W.T’s at the Ministry. I guess it comes down to whether she wants to go back to school or not.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wouldn’t that be interesting, the newly proclaimed Ice Queen and the Gryffindor Princess sharing a common room?” Theo asked as he swanned into the kitchen, “What a catfight. I bet it would be hot to watch.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne rolled her eyes, “Look what the cat dragged in.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, Astoria let me in so I guess that’s pretty accurate.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey!” Astoria objected while Draco hid an amused smile behind his cup of coffee.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne snorted, “I think it would be more interesting to watch Draco have to share a common room with the Princess. When she’s in such close proximity, he won’t be able to resist her.”</p><p> </p><p>Draco rolled his eyes, “Shut up. I confided in you, and now you’re spilling my secrets, it’s not cool.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh come on Draco, everyone knew you fancied the Gryffindor Princess,” Theo said with a grin, “Fourth-year man, it was the year of Hermione Granger!”</p><p> </p><p>“Give off Theo; you couldn’t work out if he fancied Granger or Potter!” Daphne joked.</p><p> </p><p>“Potter?” Draco scoffed, “As if! Potter with his-”</p><p> </p><p>“-scar and his broomstick!” Daphne and Theo chorused dramatically.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck you both,” Draco muttered.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing up and moving before 9 am?” Daphne asked Theo in amusement.</p><p> </p><p>“I have my reasons. Are you sure you two aren’t shagging? This is all very cute and domestic,” Theo countered.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re just friends,” Daphne said calmly, “Is there a reason why you are here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you know, just making sure my best friend is going to come back to school with me,” Theo said.</p><p> </p><p>Draco sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“He thinks nobody wants him there,” Daphne said.</p><p> </p><p>“I want you there!”</p><p> </p><p>“Apart from you two,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>Theo opened his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“And Sadie and Tracey,” Draco added.</p><p> </p><p>“I was gonna say Blaise,” Theo shrugged, “I mean it’s all a bit harsh actually, isn’t it? Daphne fucks Blaise, we alter his memory and kick him out because he falls in love with her. Then we just don’t talk to him all summer.”</p><p> </p><p>“I talked to him at the funeral,” Draco said.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t,” Daphne cringed, “I avoided him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Does he remember any of your hot bathroom sex?” Theo asked curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“No, but he does remember that one time behind the greenhouse,” Daphne replied.</p><p> </p><p>“And they call me a slut,” Theo tutted.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne scoffed, “I’m hardly a slut. I’ve slept with two guys.”</p><p> </p><p>“And made out with Ginny Weasley,” Theo added.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Draco barked.</p><p> </p><p>Theo grinned, “Oh, didn’t tell you that one then?”</p><p> </p><p>“I hate you,” Daphne muttered as she threw a dishcloth at Theo’s head.</p><p> </p><p>“You made out with Ginny Weasley?” Draco asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I made out with Ginny Weasley,” Daphne said with a roll of her eyes, “And she’s an excellent kisser by the way. I however have not shagged ten girls and snogged my best friend.”</p><p> </p><p>“It wasn’t snogging, there were no tongues,” Draco reminded her.</p><p> </p><p>“And it’s eight girls,” Theo said with a smirk, “Not ten.”</p><p> </p><p>“Was one of them Sinistra?” Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“For the last time, no! I didn’t shag Sinistra but I really really wanted to,” Theo admitted.</p><p> </p><p>Draco clapped him on the back, “Well, you’ve got another year, Theo. You might just manage it.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, he won’t because he’s going to find the courage to tell Sadie he’s in love with her,” Daphne said, glaring at Theo.</p><p> </p><p>“I might have to do that because I am shit scared of you,” Theo said matter of factly, “So Drakey, coming back to school with us? It’ll be like the good old times, you and me-”</p><p> </p><p>“-snogging in the dorm room,” Daphne finished.</p><p> </p><p>“It wasn’t snogging!” They exclaimed in unison.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ GODRIC’S HOLLOW ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Neville thought that everyone had forgotten his birthday, and if he was honest, he was okay with that. There had been a war and a battle, people had died, and others were recovering. The last thing on everyone's minds were birthdays, so he was content enough with a quiet day in the house and a meal with his gran.</p><p> </p><p>Neville didn’t expect anything more so when she asked him to go out into the wood store and bring in some firewood, he trudged outside and got a shock when he found the garden full of his friends.</p><p> </p><p>“Surprise!” Susan said as she held up a large cupcake with a candle inside it.</p><p> </p><p>Neville jumped and stared at them.</p><p> </p><p>“Happy Birthday,” Lilly said, she looked great. She had a brilliant tan, and it had brought out her freckles.</p><p> </p><p>Neville grinned and looked around the garden. Almost all of his friends were there except for Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny who would be celebrating Harry’s birthday at the Burrow. It was the only issue with Neville and Harry’s birthdays being a day apart.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you!” He said genuinely; he felt tears well up in his eyes. It wasn’t the sort of thing that would make him emotional usually, but after all that they had been through, it meant a lot.</p><p> </p><p>He blew out the candle and cast his eyes around the garden. Susan and Lilly were there, as were Hannah, Seamus and Luna. He smiled when he saw Sadie, who had dragged Theo along with her.</p><p> </p><p>Neville chuckled and walked over to him, “We fought a bunch of Death Eaters together, so we’re friends now but let’s do this the old-fashioned way. I’m Neville.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo chuckled and shook Neville’s hand, “I’m Theo. I’m a big fan of your work, that snake beheading gig was my favourite.”</p><p> </p><p>Neville just laughed. His gran came to the door and said that they could stay outside until midnight then she would be sending them all home. She also cautioned them against alcohol.</p><p> </p><p>“Your gran is scary,” Hannah said.</p><p> </p><p>Neville smiled, “She seems that way, but she isn’t when you get to know her. She’s just hard as nails.”</p><p> </p><p>“My grandad was the same,” Theo said, and Neville hid an amused smile, “It’s just the way that they were brought up back then.”</p><p> </p><p>They spent the evening talking. Neville hugged Lilly, and they laughed about Mick the Samurai. He asked her all about Japan, and she spent an hour telling him great stories. It was lovely to reconnect. They all got to talking about Hogwarts and how exciting it would be to go back.</p><p> </p><p>As the night went on, Neville found himself sitting on a swinging seat at the back of the garden with Theo.</p><p> </p><p>“At the risk of getting whipped by your scary gran,” Theo said, he pulled a hipflask out of his pocket, “Want some?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a man after my own heart,” Neville said as he swigged from the flask.</p><p> </p><p>“Bring a hipflask to a party, and you’re everyone’s best friend,” Theo joked.</p><p> </p><p>Neville chuckled, “So did you tell her that you love her?” he asked, gesturing his head towards Sadie.</p><p> </p><p>Theo shook his head; his own eyes fell on the beautiful blonde girl. She was smiling and nodding as she stood around the fire pit with Lilly, “Nah, I can’t. I mean she’s too good for me, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>“You reckon?” Neville asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah,” Theo said with a sigh, “She’s pure and sweet. I’m the dickhead who shagged his way through our year group.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, Susan and I dated in sixth year, and she’s not your biggest fan,” Neville admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t blame her,” Theo said, “I’m not good news. What about you? Is the pretty tanned one your girl?”       </p><p> </p><p>“No,” Neville said, “Lilly’s my friend, my best friend actually. I don’t have anyone right now, but that’s okay. I made some bad decisions last year, so I need to get past that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tell me about it,” Theo said with a sigh, “I slept with someone I shouldn’t have slept with, and I swear, sometimes I feel like it’s eating me alive.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Neville sighed, “I can sympathise with that. Ginny and I were kind of involved last year, but she was sort of waiting for Harry. I felt awful about it. I spilt my guts to Harry the minute I got a chance.”</p><p> </p><p>“And you survived?” Theo asked in jest.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, he was okay with it,” Neville said thoughtfully, “He made mistakes too. I guess we all do in a war.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo handed him the hipflask again then they got busted by Augusta, “I said no alcohol!”</p><p> </p><p>Neville snorted in amusement as Theo grabbed Sadie and bolted out of the garden. Neville shot Lilly a grin, and she burst out laughing. All in all, it had been a pretty good birthday.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ GREENGRASS HOUSE ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Draco’s guilt over what had happened to Luna was the last thing to fade, along with his pain over Pansy’s death. He was getting ready to leave Greengrass House so that he could go home and spend some time with his Aunt Andromeda when Daphne suggested that he write to Luna.</p><p> </p><p>At first, he thought it was ridiculous, but he had decided to return for the eighth year, so he knew that he was going to have to face Luna. He couldn’t look her in the eye after what had happened and say sorry, it was too feeble.</p><p> </p><p>So he sat down in the library, and he spent three hours writing a letter. He threw away the first drafts, second drafts, and so on. Then eventually, he felt ready to send it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Dear Luna,</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I apologise if this letter hurts you in any way, but I have decided to return to school and finish my education. Due to this, we will see each other over the course of the year, and I felt that I owed you an explanation for what happened to you in my family home at my hands.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I would like you to know that I regret what I did to you every day. I genuinely believe that you are a kind, brave, honourable person, and I hate to think that I may have taken that away from you. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I feel like I owe you the truth. The truth of the matter is that I tortured you because Voldemort asked me to prove my allegiance to him. I had just discovered that my girlfriend was pregnant, and I was terrified for her safety. We were hiding out in a bathroom, and she was very sick, so I did whatever I could to ensure her safety. What I did to you was part of that, and I am truly sorry. Unfortunately, my girlfriend, she died during the battle, and I have had a lot of time to assess my behaviour since then. I know that there is no excuse for my behaviour, but I felt it pertinent that I make my apology clear before we cross paths again.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Yours Sincerely,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Draco Malfoy.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>It took him another hour, but he eventually mustered up the courage to send the letter. He paced the house and did anything he could to keep himself occupied, and a few hours later, he received a reply.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Dear Draco,</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Thank you for your letter. I could tell that you were infested with Nargles and I am pleased to hear that you are now free of them. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Thank you for your apology. I have healed, and while I cannot forget it, I do forgive you. I am sorry that you lost your girlfriend. You must be very sad. My Mum always said that the things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the way we expect. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I look forward to seeing you at school, and I hope you find what you are looking for.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Luna.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Draco laughed tearfully, and Daphne stepped into the library, “What’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing,” Draco said, wiping his eyes hastily, “Her reply was just a bit moving, and she’s-” he laughed, “She’s drawn this, look.”</p><p> </p><p>“What is that?” Daphne asked, cocking her head at the sketch.</p><p> </p><p>“A Nargle, apparently,” Draco said with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Daphne chuckled, “You had better head home, your aunt will be arriving soon.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t remind me,” Draco said, he rose to his feet and kissed her on the cheek, “See you in Diagon Alley?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Daphne said, she kissed his cheek too, “Look after yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll do my best.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Bonjour, mon ami!”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne grinned and ran into the entrance hall, “Tracey!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m back!” Tracey said, she dropped two shopping bags as Daphne ran at her.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne hugged her tightly, “I’ve missed you. Please tell me you got a letter.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, and of course I am going back,” Tracey said with a smile, “Are you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Daphne smiled, “We all are. Draco took a little convincing, but we got there.”</p><p> </p><p>“How is he?” Tracey asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Well he has finally moved out, so that’s a plus,” Daphne said with a roll of her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“He stayed here?” Tracey asked. She raised an eyebrow at her best friend.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, for two and a half months,” Daphne said.</p><p> </p><p>“Didn’t I tell you not to take him back?”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t!”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, come on. He stayed here for that long, and you didn’t shag him?” Tracey scoffed.</p><p> </p><p>“He slept in my bed for that long, and I didn’t shag him,” Daphne said, she shot her friend a smirk, “He made it difficult some mornings, but I have excellent self-control.”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey snorted, “I wonder if you will have such good self-control when you have to share a common room with Harry Potter.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne scoffed, “Why does everyone think I’m obsessed with Potter? I called him cute two years ago!”</p><p> </p><p>Tracey laughed and picked up her bags. She hooked her arm through Daphne’s and started to walk up the stairs with her, “Face the truth, Daphne. You have high standards, that’s why it was always the Slytherin Prince for you.”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne made a face, “Draco nicknamed himself that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Still,” Tracey said with a smile, “As impressive as Longbottom was in the final battle with his snake-beheading skills, there is only one person who has ever been able to one-up Draco and that’s Potter.”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever, Tracey,” Daphne said as she threw herself onto her bed, “What gifts have you brought me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, so many beautiful things for my beautiful best friend,” Tracey said as she jumped onto Daphne’s bed and tackled her into a hug, “I’ve missed you!”</p><p> </p><p>Daphne laughed and hugged her back, “I’ve missed you too, now get off me so I can open my presents!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>* ~ DIAGON ALLEY ~ *</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“So who do you reckon will come back then?” Theo asked Draco as they walked along Diagon Alley together.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Draco admitted.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you reckon the golden trio will be back?” Theo asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Potter is coming back,” Draco said, “My aunt told me so. If he’s coming, the other two will follow. Those three are inseparable.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah…” Theo frowned, “All that talk of three-ways after Daphne’s nightmare dream. Reckon that’s what makes them so close?”</p><p> </p><p>Draco frowned, “No, Theo. I think Granger is too much of a prude to shag one of them, let alone both of them.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo snorted, “Hey, it’s always the quiet ones Draco,” he said with a wink.</p><p> </p><p>“You’d know this how?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Sadie,” Theo grinned, “I’ve not found out for myself yet, but I bet you, she will be a minx in the bedroom.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ask her out, you’ll find out fast enough,” Draco retorted.</p><p> </p><p>“I will, but I will do it in my own time,” Theo said matter of factly.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, make your own time a bit faster, or you’ll turn around, and she’ll be dating someone else,” Draco pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“You got experience of this?” Theo retorted, “Still bitter about Viktor Krum swanning into the Yule Ball with the Princess in fourth year?”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, Theo.”</p><p> </p><p>“Reckon she knows we call her the Princess?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m pretty sure she would have hexed us by now if she did,” Draco said dryly.</p><p> </p><p>“You totally still have a thing for her,” Theo said knowingly.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo, my girlfriend just died,” Draco muttered.</p><p> </p><p>“I know, but you can’t put your life on hold Draco,” Theo said, “You’re young and attractive, make the most of it before you get old and – oh fuck, I was going to say bald, but you’ll probably just swan around with glorious hair and a garden full of peacocks like your father.”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, Theo,” Draco said dryly.</p><p> </p><p>“Too soon for Dad jokes?”</p><p> </p><p>“Far too soon.”</p><p> </p><p>Theo looked a little sheepish, “Oh look, there are the girls! Hey!”</p><p> </p><p>Draco rolled his eyes and followed his best friend over to Flourish and Blott’s where the girls were waiting for them.</p><p> </p><p>“You look positively miserable,” Daphne remarked.</p><p> </p><p>“Theo is being an idiot,” Draco retorted.</p><p> </p><p>“So no change there then!” Tracey said.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Trace, missed you too,” Theo laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“You guys all set for the year?” Draco asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Daphne replied, “We were just debating what to do now.”</p><p> </p><p>Sadie looked along the alley, “Everything is shut, and it’s just kind of depressing.”</p><p> </p><p>They were right, Ollivander’s, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes and Fortescue’s were all just abandoned, some of them had even been ransacked.</p><p> </p><p>“So where can we go?” Theo asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Well guys, as the token half-blood, I guess it’s up to me to suggest the Muggle world,” Tracey spoke up.</p><p> </p><p>There was a general murmur of agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“Does anyone, apart from me, know how to use Muggle money?” Tracey asked as they walked up the alley together. She linked her arm through Daphne’s. Theo took Sadie’s hand, and Draco put his arm around Theo.</p><p> </p><p>There was a resounding chorus of, “No,”</p><p> </p><p>Theo grinned and turned to look at her, “Well Trace, guess that means you’re buying!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>* ~ And the story continues in ‘The Eighth Year’…</strong>
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